It is a wonderful life
I once read an analysis of the movie by Professor Ray Carney of Boston University that got me thinking. He said this movie shows life can be "an enriching Norman Rockwell experience." But he continues, "it also can be smothering, where you end up marrying the girl you went to high school with, and you never get to go to Europe. It tells us that George is one of the saddest, most lonely, and tragic characters ever imagined."
Nothing in the movie seems as sad as the professor's analysis. How could George Bailey be a tragic figure when he's the richest man in town? He makes Mr. Potter, the old miser, look like a pauper -- because George Bailey has loved, sacrificed, built, given, and stood alone a time or two, and, well, he has lived.
No, he never got to be a European tourist, but he didn't go through life as a tourist either. It is hard to imagine "It's a Wonderful Life" being made in a decade when "The Hobbit," "James Bond," and racy R-rated movies set the tone for American movies. Yet, this wholesome movie was one of the most sensual vignettes in the history of movieland. Donna Reed manages to seduce Jimmy Stewart without taking a stitch of clothing off.
The scene – with both of them trying to talk on the same telephone -- is full of irony and double meanings. "He says it's the chance of a lifetime," she breathes, passing on a message about a business deal from another suitor on the other end of the line to George. She is holding out the chance of a lifetime: love, trust, and family.
The movie celebrates middle-class virtues, which are not typical enough in this decade. Think of all those who make a difference in your town. Like in the film, you never really know how a kind word you have said, a gesture of kindness you have made, can impact others, especially children.
The most disturbing aspect of the movie's popularity is the realization that nostalgia for specific values tends to set in just when they disappear. Happily, nostalgia can also bring those values back, for there are fashions in values, just as in clothes.
As I write this column, I am inclined to count my blessings. I have a great family, healthy kids, a job, a roof over my head, health, a God that loves me, and friends. It is a wonderful life!
LESSONS LEARNED
While it is true that life kept getting in the way of George Bailey's goals and dreams, we do learn from great lessons from his example in "It's a Wonderful Life."
1. Life is not just about us.
2. No man is a failure if he has friends.
3. We all need community around us.
4. We seldom know the impact we have on others.
5. Character speakers louder than cash.
6. Do not store up treasures on Earth, you cannot take them with you.
7. Your life matters to your family and to others!
8. Every time a bell rings, an angel gets it wings.
This Christmas season, let's focus on the eternal things, the words and actions that really matter in life, and gift thanks for the journey.
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