It Is A Wonderful Life Indeed
Some Takeaways From the Classic Holiday Movie
It is that time of year again — multi-colored lights, evergreen decorations, piles of presents, and classic songs fill every corner of the Western world. As one classic carol goes: “it’s the holiday season, so hoop-de do and dickory dock.” Yes, all of December marks the amazing and fast-paced holiday time that will soon be over as quickly as it began. Before the season passes us by, we should remember one classic holiday film that has withstood the test of time — It’s A Wonderful Life. Featuring James Stewart and Donna Reed, the epic holiday hit takes viewers back to early 20th century U.S. and introduces them to the infamous George Bailey — a smalltown lending company secretary who receives an unexpected visit from his guardian angel Clarence. Clarence teaches George a few important lessons about the meaning of life, relationships, and riches more infinitely valuable than what any amount money can buy. Let’s explore a few takeways from the film and reflect upon how life is indeed so very wonderful.
“More to Life Than a Little Money.”
Perhaps the most famous line from another epic film, Fargo, is when the small-town Minnesota police chief Marge Gunderson schools the dark suspect Gaear Grimsrud: “there is more to life than a little money, you know.” Maybe Grimsrud never learned that lesson. However, one could easily argue George Bailey more than makes up for it(as well as perhaps the unlearned characters from several other movies). Growing up in Bedford Falls, George Bailey has nothing but big dreams of traveling the world, making a big name for himself, and earning a Rockefeller-type fortune. But after he works at his father’s Bailey Building and Loan for four years to save for college, his father passes away suddenly. This forces George to take over as the business manager while his brother sets off for college with his money. George’s grand dreams continue to fizzle away as he stays with the business permanently, soon weds his sweetheart Mary, and starts a family.
The larger-than-life George feels downtrodden and strapped to his small town and an old family business he can hardly stand. Things reach a breaking point when his business partner Uncle Harry loses $8,000 of the company’s funds(about $146,000 adjusted for inflation in 2022). Facing fines and criminal penalties, George flees from home and makes one last ditch effort to ask Mr. Potter for a loan(who in reality has stolen the funds). When Potter calls the police, George goes off the rails and considers the unthinkable. This is when his guardian angel Clarence intervenes and teaches George lessons about what really matters.
In the film, George certainly is able to relearn about the infinite riches of life more important than money, including good deeds, family and friends, human connections, and what is sacred and numinous at the heart of things. Additionally, he learns that hardships and dire circumstances will work themselves out in the long run. Just as quickly as Uncle Billy accidentally giving the envelope of money to Potter(and Potter sneaking it away as a long-awaited means of getting back at the Baileys), the townspeople are able to scour up extra cash to help George in his time of need. The final blessing is an advance of up to $20,000 from George’s old friend Sam. All of this monetary help can be seen as a return for the help and care George offered over the years — including helping numerous Bedford Falls residents build their own homes. The money from Sam could even be seen as an overdue payout for the tips George gave to help him make it big in the plastics market. Yes, George certainly learns there is more to life than money.
What Would the World Be Like If You Had Never Been Born?
Perhaps one of the most wonderful parts of the film is the spiritual and existential vision George Bailey is offered by his guardian angel Clarence. Clarence offers George a chance to see the world as if he had never been born. For sure, this became a milestone in film on many fronts. Many films have followed the “what if” fantasy question. Also, as film critic Kim Morgan has examined in a posing piece, the vision of a world without George Bailey strangely parallels a dark twilight-zone world where Bedford Falls is eponymously renamed Pottersville. Talk about your multi-genre film!
But viewers revisiting the film can consistently remember timeless truths. One main truth is how each life leaves such an immeasurable impact on others. Numerous small, unrecognizable acts of George’s are shown to have made a resonating ripple in the larger ocean. If George had not been there growing up to save his brother Harry from falling in ice cold water, Harry would have died at a young age and never gone to become a hero fighter pilot in WWII. George’s old boss the druggist would have gone to prison for decades since the preteen George was not there to stop the grief-stricken druggist from accidentally putting poison in a child’s medicine. Even George’s nearest and dearest would have been doomed to a dismal life — In the vision, Uncle Billy is stuck in a mental institution while George’s mother and wife Mary are piddling the days away as lonely souls broken down by profound loss or failed dreams.
One of the most striking parts of “the glimpse” offered to George is that he does not seem to ever fully understand the erasure of his life from the world. From his point of view, Clarence’s gift is not so much about seeing what the world would be like without him. Instead, he misses the sheer joy, love, and fulfillment offered to him from other souls on his life’s journey. He is dumbfounded at how cold and indifferent his close friends seem to be and absolutely devastated that his own mother and wife have not the faintest recollection of him. Thus, we also find another timeless message from the film is how each of our lives is interconnected to all others. This is similar to a symphony where each instrument like the trumpet or the violin not only enhances the music played out by the larger orchestra but where all the other instruments also augment the sound of each individual instrument so that it plays more richly than if it were all on its own. In the larger oceans of life, all of our individual ripples of affection flow seamlessly with one another. George pleads for Clarence, and finally the Divine, to bring him to life again once he realizes the infinite mystery and wonder inherent in those he loves the most and sees the unlimited beauty present in what lay in front of him the whole time.
A Summit Higher Than Fame
Perhaps George’s lingering unhappiness is not as much correlated to his lack of money but more to his seeming inability to make a lasting name for himself. Circumstances lead him to just be an ordinary townsman living an all too ordinary and seemingly dismal existence. Everyone else he knows seem to make it big. His brother Marty lands a research job right out of college and becomes a national hero in WWII. Meanwhile Sam makes it big in New York with plastics. Many times, George seems to be the laughing stock of others in the town. His arch rival Mr. Potter cannot stand the smell of him. Even Mary’s mother is not very fond of George, crying tears of disappointment at the couple’s wedding. George certainly feels bitter and anxious about his chance to ever mean something passing further away.
But the greatest surprise of the film might not be Clarence’s angelic presence and spellbinding. Instead, when the crowd of people line up in George’s den to offer him aid, George realizes even more the vibrant, lasting connections he has forged with countless people. His life is already extraordinary and infinitely abounding in miracles. Yes, a big name and bulky bank account are great heights for any to reach. However, they are not quite the summit of the mountain we all are called to reach in our own way. Finding true fulfillment in life and building a lasting legacy has many key parts which include nurturing a heart of gold aimed at helping anyone in need and fostering a warm spirit offering kindness and love to family, friends, neighbors and strangers. May we all be so blessed as George to find ourselves living and enjoying the wonderful life right in front of us, and striving to do so ever more abundantly.
