The CHIEF December 2023

Movie Review

By Tyler Drechsel

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

For those who don’t know, It’s A Wonderful Life is a film about the life of a man named George Bailey. George lives in the small town of Bedford Falls. And throughout his entire life, he has had several ups and downs. Many of the downs in his life are due to the greedy businessman Mr. Potter, who spends his life making things harder on the people of Bedford Falls by buying all of the businesses he can, and bumping up prices. After George’s father dies, he’s forced to stay in Bedford Falls instead of going to college in order to prevent Mr. Potter from taking over his father’s business. After he takes charge of his father’s business, he marries his childhood sweetheart. But instead of using his money to go on a romantic honeymoon, he invests in the bank to keep it afloat. George is forced to stay in Bedford Falls and handle his business while he watches everyone else in his life go on to make great achievements. George reaches rock bottom when his bank goes bankrupt. The tax man is breathing down his neck, and he just keeps taking hits. Just as he’s seriously contemplating jumping off a bridge and ending his life, an angel comes down from Heaven to stop him. In an attempt to prevent George from taking his own life, the angel guides him through a world where he was never born. This film originally flopped when it first came out. In 1946, people were still adjusting to the effects of WWII and weren’t really in the mood for a movie that was so cheery. While it was nominated for Best Picture, it didn’t gain popularity until 1976 after airing on television. Directed by Frank Capra, the film has the ability to balance comedy and drama thanks to the incredible actors, who portray some of the most memorable characters in cinematic history. Lionel Barrymore in particular, gives one of the greatest villain performances of all time as Mr. Potter. He doesn’t have any super powers, or extraordinary wit, or incredible strength. He just has money and authority and he uses these resources to be one of the biggest jerks in the movies. While all of these aspects are great, the film's ability to capture the variety of life is what makes It’s A Wonderful Life such a great movie. There will be times when you feel like you can do anything you put your mind to, only to end up doing something basic. Whether it be problems with money, family, or anything else, there will be some terrible things that will happen during your life. However, life will also have some incredible moments. There will be times when you are surrounded by incredible people, times when you are loved, times when you are respected. It’s the theme about the incredible gift of life that makes It’s A Wonderful Life so special. I have only cried during six movies in my life, and this is one of them. Unlike the rest of them however, this one made me cry out of happiness. I would recommend this to anyone who hasn’t seen it. It’s truly an unforgettable, and impactful experience. 10/10