When it comes to Christmas classics, It’s a Wonderful Life was never really one of my favorites when I first saw it as a teenager. I never hated it, but I also found most of the film rather boring and slow. Beforehand, I remember when this sort of premise was parodied to death in cartoons and sitcoms before even seeing the original movie. I was hoping the premise that so many shows have parodied would happen more quickly but I found that we don’t even get to the angel until the 3rd act of the movie. Cut to years later, is it possible that I have a newfound respect for how well crafted the movie is? or did teenage me have a point in dismissing the movie as slow and boring?
George Bailey has faced many setbacks in his life. he lost his hearing in one ear trying to save his brother after breaking through the ice, he gives up his dream to travel the world and afterward becoming an architect for helping running his family-owned bank and he even gives away his college tuition to his brother Harry so he can lead a successful life. Even though Geroge has a loving wife and kids, he, unfortunately, can't see the bright side in his ever depressing life and thinks about ending it by jumping off a bridge. Suddenly, a guardian angel appears and shows Geroge what his life would be like if he never existed leaving George to suddenly realize how many people he’s had an impact on.
So the weirdest thing about this story is that it takes its precious time to set up everything we need to know about George and his life. Like I mentioned before, we don’t get to the guardian angel until the third act which bothered me back then, and even today I can understand why I thought that way before. There is a lot of serious bank talk and long exposition that take up the majority of the movie. I understand that we need to know about George's life but I felt like maybe they could have shortened it a little to keep the plot moving swiftly. However, with all that being said, I will admit that now that some time has passed, I have a newfound respect for how the movie takes its time to set up its characters and its world.
I still wish the exposition could be shorter, but I think I’m now starting to see how every plot element the movie brings up is important to the story as a whole. Even though it's a much older movie, I still have to give credit that the whole time we spend with George’s character is quite relatable as he deals with issues most adults have probably faced in their lives. The supporting cast is also quite good and each of them does leave a memorable impression and have importance to the meat of the story. Even though it’s an old black and white film, it does look pretty decent especially during the Christmas shots and the music is simple and lovely in an old-timey sort of way.
This truly is a movie that has gotten better for me over time and I believe I’m finally starting to see why it is considered a Christmas classic. Sure, it is longer than it needs to be, but it still tells an engaging story that has human relatability, likable or even memorable characters, and a true sense of what makes our lives so special especially around the holidays. It may be an ancient movie, but it’s a movie that you’ll most likely never forget.
(Final Grade B+)