Illustration by Brianna Ashby
I love the movie It’s a Wonderful Life.
Sure..there are other movies to watch during the holiday season that aren’t as heavy, and I enjoy those as well, but this movie…this one piece of brilliant art, is special to me, as it is for so many.
Firstly, it has become a tradition for Kyle and I to watch it together every year. When those opening credits begin, the magic of Christmas officially begins to bloom in our home.
If you have never seen the movie before, then I am envious of you, because when you finally do…after reading this newsletter, you will experience something moving and magical for the first time.
Don’t be put off by the black and white of it all.
That is the film’s secret ingredient…they show us something without color that fills us with blues, greens, and yellows.
Ok…so I need to tell you about the movie, so if you haven’t seen it yet, now is a good time to leave and come back when you have repented….otherwise..let’s dig in.
We watched the movie a few days before I wrote this, and I became acutely aware of the use of transportation as symbolism in George Bailey’s life journey. He wants to be in a forward motion; he wants to be an explorer. His dream is to be a person who voyages on trains and ships and sees the world and all its exotic wonder…BUT…every time he steps towards that dream, he is faced with a moral barrier, and his hope and natural joy are tested.
Watching George Bailey as a child, we observe his delight in everything around him. He loves his friends and his kid brother, whom he saves from drowning in an icy pond, and suffers hearing loss in his left ear from the act of bravery…but that doesn’t stop him from planning a life of adventure. He reads National Geographic; he speaks about coconuts as if they were gifts from the heavens. It seems that he is a young man with a plan, and he isn’t going to let anything stop him…..but he could use some manners…
When we see George as a grown young man, we see him moving through life with absolute joyful energy, picking up his new suitcase, and readying himself for his adventures. First, he has plans to board a train and see the world…and then, after that most important thing is done, he will return home and attend college.
The first barrier occurs at this point.
Tragically George’s father has a stroke and dies. Having worked for his father at his small family business, The Buildings and Loan Company, George has no choice but to stay in Bedford Falls and run the company in his father’s absence. But he still has hope that through this grief and loss, an adventure will come again. So he gives his traveling money to his brother to pay for his education, and they make a deal that when his schooling is done, his brother will do his part and take over the family business, at which point George will take his leave and hop onto that train once and for all.
The second barrier occurs when Georges's brother returns home from school…
and brings a surprise with him…his new wife. Of course, George is delighted to see him, and they are reunited at the train station, where adventure and escape are so close that George can taste it. Sadly, that is where he learns that his brother’s new father-in-law, a successful man, has offered his brother a job, and a chance at a brighter future. George cannot imagine taking this opportunity away from his kid brother, so he sets him free to live with his new bride somewhere other than Bedford Falls, where George is now beginning to feel trapped.
my thoughts…..
I think we have all felt trapped in some way in life. When life bends and mutates itself in ways you can’t predict, it can feel like you are stuck inside a cage.
Often though, if you look carefully, the cage isn’t locked...we have just chosen to see it that way.
So….George does his duty, caring for his mother and the family business. Eventually, he marries his one true love, Mary Hatch, played by the lovely and talented Donna Reed.
It is essential to point out that George is reluctant to fall in love with Mary, even though he has been in love with her for years. You see, marriage is a barrier for an explorer. If he allows himself to indulge in his true feelings, his life will look different. Lucky for us, he makes the right choice, listens to his heart, and marries the girl.
The third barrier happens after the wedding;
George and Mary leave the wedding, run through the pouring rain, and jump into a taxi with a fist full of their wedding money, excitedly making out and talking about their honeymoon. We can see George is lit up brightly at this perfect thing that is his life at that moment. He got the girl of his dreams, and now he will explore the world with his new bride by his side. But then….as they are in the taxi ..being transported to the train station, they see a large angry crowd of people trying to get through the doors of his family business. Something is wrong, and against Mary’s plead for him to stay, George does what he feels is the right thing, and investigates the problem. George finds out that the bank has called their loans, and Mr. Potter, the villain in this tale, an old rich man full of greed and hate, is offering to pay .50 on the dollar to George’s patrons and basically shut down his business. So now, without any money in the vault to loan out, he does the other thing that feels right, he and Mary loan out all of their wedding money to the anxious crowd and calm the storm with their kindness and generosity…so no honeymoon.
Then comes the final straw…the big bad thing, the one that breaks George Bailey in half and causes him to consider taking his life, the one you will have to watch the movie to discover…I have spoiled enough…and no words can describe the amazing performance that Jimmy Stewart gives as a wrecked George Bailey. (tissues will be necessary)
I don’t want to give everything away because there are so many elements to the story that are important that I am not including.
I do want to give an honorable mention to George’s Guardian Angel Clarence, who plays a pivotal role and helps George see his life through a different lens, allowing him to see that even though he didn’t get to see the world as he had always wanted to, and life constantly tripped him up and changed his outlook; he was precisely where he needed to be the whole time.
George Bailey changed people’s lives for the better, and Bedford Falls wouldn’t have its soul without him in it.
If you stop and think about it, you have most likely changed some people’s lives in beautiful ways.
That is what I love about this story.
With a little perspective, even in the bleakest of times, we can always make a difference with a bit of kindness.
Now pop some popcorn, get your cozy blanket out, and watch this movie!
Xo
Michelle Lee Stuart
I love your breakdown of this movie. It’s one of my favourites too. I think black and white movies may be off putting to some but I hope newer audiences give this a chance. No offence to cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies but this movie is so beautifully done and stands the test of time. Once you watch it, you never forget it.
I too am a Wonderful Life fan. George reminds Tony & myself of my Dad. Rearing five kids & supporting his wife as well (until we were all in school & she returned to the work world). My Dad worked at any job he could including selling produce at a market to working on a pipeline in Northern Ontario.. then he became a welder at G.M. His times were sometimes as tough as George Baileys but he came thru & we loved him dearly. We all have our own stories & I thank you for writing yours on this Wonderful Movie. Merry Christmas & listen for the bells.