1946
Directed by Frank Capra
This may be one of the corniest movies ever made. I have always hated stories like The Christmas Carol and cheesy holiday specials about the "true meaning of Christmas". It is just so annoyingly wholesome. Which is probably why I chose to watch Inglourious Basterds last Christmas instead of Charlie Brown.
George Bailey is taking his life for granted so he goes and sees what it would be like if he wasn't around. For some reason, this would mean his wife would have had to wear glasses if she never met him. What?
Jimmy Stewart is amazing, of course. It just seemed to me, though, to be like that special Christmas episode of your favorite sitcom that ends up sucking. Oh yeah and there is a major socialist agenda here but it is Frank Capra so what do you expect?
RATING: **---
Interesting Facts:
Voted most inspirational film of all time.
Favorite of James Stewart's movies.
Flopped upon its release.
I have always wondered why his wife would wear glasses and become a librarian if she hadn't met him! Glad I am not the only one who thinks of those things.
ReplyDeleteSexual frustration. makes you go blind. I thought everyone knew that?
ReplyDeleteHaha I am so embarrassed that I didn't know that!
DeleteWell Amanda, maybe it's one of those trans Atlantic linguistic differences ..but its .... errrr.. cough cough.. not so much the frustration that is reckoned to send you blind but the errrrmmm cough cough .. attempts to .... err ... you know... .. errmmm... mumble mumble...
DeleteOh come on.. do Americans really not say that masturbation ruins your eyesight??? Just condemn you to eternal hellfire and damnation perhaps?
Please feel free to delete this post as 'far too much detail'. Sorry.
I suppose being a librarian is a spinster profession. How sexist...
ReplyDeleteI've never been able to fully pin down how I feel about this one. Parts of it I think are great .. the portrayal of frustration as our hero is thwarted at every turn as he longs to live his dreams, and gets dragged back by the actions of others is very powerful I can even cope with.. whatsisname .. Clarence - the Angel because he is so nicely less than perfect .. but .. - and Amanda knows how I feel about kids in movies (OK, about kids), in a galaxy of seriously nauseous kids-in-movies, is there at all one more vomit inducing than Zsu-zsu. Is there a more vomit inducing kids name? And absolutely, the whole thing is far too wholesome .. but it's politics are pretty ok aren't they? And Mr potter is one of films most hissable villains, well portrayed...
ReplyDeleteSo I seriously .. don't know.. I can cope with bits when i accidently catch it on TV.. just allow me to switch off at kiddie time.
Some interesting comments here! I have never heard the thing about masturbation and eye sight but that might be advice/warning that is only imparted to males. I don't think an adult ever talked to me about masturbation when I was young, which is something I am thankful for. And yes I suppose librarians are too bookish and smart (i.e. have never known the touch of a man). I just think this movie was way too wholesome for me. But proud of you, Ray, that you can cope with some parts.
ReplyDeleteI had never seen this film on the TV and I went to see it one Christmas at the cinema when they were showing it a few years ago. Watching this film for the first time was like a beautiful, perfect cinematic experience. It was the absolute best cinema could be and I've watched it every year sincce! Jimmy Stewart in it was immense- one of my absolute favourite performances of all time.
ReplyDeleteI'm not seeing how it's too wholesome to be honest...this character is so realistic, and such a good, honest person who is driven to desperation and attempts suicide because basically he's (through no fault of his own) flat broke and feels like a complete and utter failure and that he's worth more dead than alive. How they managed to make this storyline as heartwarming as it is is pretty impressive.
What I love about the George Bailey character is he's such a reluctant hero because he's just a regular guy. He has so many dreams and ambitions and hopes for so much, and he's a great guy...he sacrifices so much because he's a good person. Most of the time he's stuck between a rock and a hard place. He doesn't shirk his responsibilities and he isn't selfish and he tries to do good by people through no other reason than it's the right thing to do and he cares about people. By the time we get to the scene where his uncle loses the money I started crying and practically didn't stop till the end credits haha!! I think there is a special kind of crazy panic that happens when people realise they don't have enough money to survive and they captured it so beautifully. By the time we got to the end I was a total wreck! Mind you...it doesn't take much to make me cry at a film. If a character is crying on screen and I'm invested I will surely be blubbing away too haha!
Ashley .. so, sorry, I didn't quite catch your drift .. do you like this or not then?
ReplyDeleteAt this point if I knew how, I'd insert some emoji probably a smiley one with a wink or something that made it clear that I was being humorous with an exagerated remark
Haha- well I'm not really sure. I am pretty on the fence about the whole thing haha!
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ReplyDeleteFair enough. never mind, it maybe one of hose films that grow on you
ReplyDelete