Kapra's Its a Wonderful Life or "Oh Phooey!"

Note: If you are a fan of this all too classic Christmas movie then you might not want to read this essay.  Now given that I've previously stated how I don't really like christmas this essay probably isn't a surprise to anyone (and I don't want to be a downer by posting it).  If you really like Its a Wonderful Life then just don't read this essay.

This year, on Christmas Eve, I watched Kapra's "Its a Wonderful Life" (IAWL) for the very first time.  Yes I know I'm 35.  And I know that its nearly impossible to have escaped this for 35 years since they play it multiple times every Christmas.  Still "nearly impossible" doesn't mean "impossible".  I did escape it for 35 years and then, this Christmas eve, when others were attending yuletide services, I hunkered down with a book, a cat and IAWL.  All I can say is this:

What an utterly depressing tribute to Christmas.  I think eating glass and then wondering why I'm bleeding is full of more holiday cheer than this film.  Run!  Hide!  Never Again!

Here's what the film is about if you, like me, have been lucky enough to escape it:

1. It takes place in an American town circa the late 1920s where a young man, George, is about to leave for college.  He has grand dreams of seeing the world, achieving great things and just getting out of the small, rural town where he's spent his whole life.
2. As a child George saved his brother's life by rescuing him from drowning but became deaf in 1 ear as a result.
3. He has worked post high school for 4 years to save the money for college by working at his father's bank / mortgage company.
4. His Dad falls sick / dead and George has to take over the family business or watch his father's dreams go by the wayside.  He does so but with the explicit understanding that his brother will, upon college graduation, take over the job so George can attend college.  Yes George's savings go to pay for his brother's college degree.
5. He works another four years only to have his brother return with a wife and a great job.  George lets his brother escape his obligations.
6. George gets married and has a family.
7. All along George has been warring with a local robber baron / landlord / banker, "Potter", who desperately wants George to fail and tries at every turn to ensure his failure.
8. While George's brother has every possible success, including winning a Congressional Medal of Honor for his service in World War II, George plods along and continues to do a good job for all those around him.
9. When George's business partner, his Uncle Billy, inadvertently gives the daily bank deposit of $8,000, to Potter while bragging about George's brother and then the bank examiner shows up, George realizes that "I'm worth more dead than alive" (he has $15,000 in life insurance) and decides to kill himself.
10. A friendly angel, Clarence, comes down and shows George that if he had never existed then life would have been much more sad and depressing for all those around him.
11. George decides he wants to live after all and all the people in the community pitch in spare funds and donate the $8,000 he is missing. 
12. And then I would have to guess that George has "a wonderful life".

Here's why I found this to be an utterly depressing film:

1. It's about suicide.  And, worse, holiday suicide.  That's right suicide.  There's a cheery thought!
2. This is a film often watched by children -- why in the world would you want to acquaint children with the whole idea of suicide?  Isn't that level of self destruction at least supposed to be an adult thing?  (And, yes, I know the stats on teen suicide quite well)
3. George never does get to achieve any of his own dreams.  Yes he did make the world a better place by having existed.  And I'll agree with the wonderfulness of this but what about George?  Does anything good ever happen for him?  Doesn't he ever get to achieve any of his own dreams?
4. In the end the villain is rewarded.  Yup, Potter, the evil banker, gets to keep an extra $8,000.  Where's the justice in that?  So now he's even better financed to keep dogging George's shoes.  Sheesh!

My guess?  Once Clarence the angel leaves, I suspect that George is headed back to that bridge the next time something bad happens. 

Note: This is a 130 minute file that the shown in 180 minutes (3 hours).  That's at least 50 minutes of commercials for something that had all production expenses paid for back in 1948 or so.  Can you say profitable?  Oh and it may have been more than 50 minutes of commercials since I think it was cut but I'm not sure.

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