PALOMERA, JOSHUA CARL L.

4LM2 - SCL 9: MOVIE REVIEW (02/08/19)

A Wonderful Life Indeed

The American film, entitled “It’s a Wonderful Life,” was produced in 1946 by Frank
Capra; based on the short story and booklet, “The Greatest Gift.” It is seen as a classic in
American cinema, some others go on to say that it is part of tradition to watch it every Christmas
Eve.

The film revolves around George Bailey and his attempt to take his own life during
Christmas Eve. Clarence Odbody, his guardian angel, comes to intervene by showing him how
different the lives in his community would be if he hadn’t been born.

George Bailey was a family man, blessed with charisma, kindness, and most of all,
selflessness; a trait exemplified through the sacrifice of his dreams. He wanted to travel the
world and become an architect, but he gave it away with the intention of saving his community
from the hands of Henry Potter. This was done through him taking over Building and Loan, the
business of his father whose life was unfortunately taken by a stroke. Not only did he stop Potter
from taking over the town, he literally made sure everyone from his community had a roof to
keep them from the weather outside. He was well-loved and respected by his people.

On the course of the natural life of a man, he soon had a wife. He built his family with
Mary Hatch; someone who had been crushing on him since childhood. Like her well-loved
husband, she too is family-oriented. Supportive to the endeavours of her partner to the very end,
she was one of the people that encouraged the community to help George by funding the missing
$8, 000. She also is a huge part in their children’s lives; instilling them values as seen by their
initiative to pray for their father.

Another figure in George’s life is Harry Bailey; his brother. He once saved him from
drowning in a icy pond. He became a soldier in the navy pilot during the abhorrent World War
II. A highlight of this part of his life would be the heroic act of shooting down a kamikaze plane
heading for troop transport, which saved many of his fellow soldiers.

On another note, there is Billy Bailey, his uncle. As much as he is kind, as much as he is
clumsy. He gave Henry Potter the opportunity to destroy their business in his attempt to taunt
him when he grabbed the newspaper from his lap to read aloud the headline about his brother,
George. He unintentionally wrapped the envelope containing the money in the newspaper.
Nevertheless, he was one of the people who encouraged the townspeople to help and fund the
business’ deficit.

Perhaps my favourite character of the film, there is Clarence Odbody. The word cloy
would be the perfect term to describe Clarence’ persona. His manner of speaking was quirky and
innocent, and even telling them the truth that he was from heaven.

He is an angel who has yet to earn his wings despite 200 years of existence, he hears the
calls of George’s family and friends. He is then assigned to save George as his guardian angel,
earning him his wings in the process. Preparing for the task at hand, he is shown flashbacks of
the life of the soul he is to save.

He then saves George by diving into the river. George chose to save Clarence instead of
taking his own life. The angel also grants George’s wish of not being born. This shows him how
the community would have been without his existence; something that finally convinces George
that he had been wrong about himself.
 Lastly, there is Henry Potter. As much as he has the riches, as much as he has the evils
that come with it. For years, he aimed to be the most powerful man in the town. He tried to
achieve this by trying to own every parcel of land in the community. But all those years have
been for naught; for George has always been there to thwart him with his kind and undying
efforts of helping the townspeople. However, given the opportunity to eliminate his rival,
George, as time and time he had been given, he will take that opportunity.

If given the opportunity to fill in the shoes of George, I would gladly take it. George,
excluding his recent suicidal tendencies, was probably the Renaissance man of America during
the 1940s. His undying efforts to aid the welfare and dreams of his fellow men in his community
was certainly admirable; it is something I would be willing and enjoy doing myself. His method
too was certainly noble. His business being the primary method for aid, he challenged Potter’s
rental properties in the slums by selling properties in a way cheaper price; something I wouldn’t
even dare to do.

Despite the evolutions of the roles of men throughout the decades to the times of today,
George is still a perfect model of a family man. I dare on to add that he started young. Selfless,
sacrificing his dreams of travelling the world and becoming an architect, despite and even having
the means to attain it. All for the future of his brother, sending him to college; of course with the
promise to return. He also considered the future of the community in the hands of Potter; I
imagine Potterville would be full of slums.

However, his will broke apart causing him to have an attempt on his life. With the
understanding of mental health of our modern world, despite suicide being wrong on its own, it
is understandable why he chose to that end. Afterall, whatever a man has, builds most of his will;
and everything George had, was collapsing upon him.

Truth be told, I would have probably end up with the same conclusion as he did: suicide.
I just hope I’d be as lucky as George had been; or at least as admirable as him in the last minute.
When I say admirable, I do not mean that suicide is the honorable end. I mean that he chose to
save Clarence instead of focusing on going through what he thinks is the best solution. George
was already in that state of mind, he was set on killing himself. During that trance, normally a
man only thinks of two scenarios or possibilities; to succeed or fail, never a change of heart or
mind (of course, excluding external factors). But he chose to save the quirky angel pretending to
be a man in a whim. In other words, he still chose to do a noble act, despite being buried by
overwhelming thoughts during the lowest point of his life.

Everyone’s favourite part of the film, including mine, and is probably be the turning part
of the film, would be when the odd angel saved him. This was after George thought his life
would collapse upon him, and he was on the verge on succeeding on taking his own life. George
did jump, but in an effort to save Clarence. Odbody then reveals to George his true nature, a
second class angel. The latter doubted him at first, questioning what happened to his wings.

And it was after this grand reveal, through a miracle, the angel showed him what the
community would be like without him being born; and it wasn’t as sunny as he remembered. In
this altered timeline, He also finds his mother who does not recognize him. She runs a boarding
house; still overwhelmed by grief due to the loss of her only child, Harry. There was not a soul
around to save the nine year-old boy from the icy waves of pool that pulled him under and
caused him to drown. Consequently, there was no Harry to save those American troops from that
one kamikaze plane during World War II. In a fit of rage, he forces the quirky angel to show him
what happened to his wife, Mary. He finds that Mary never married, she was a librarian, and so
of course, their children never existed.

Because of this miracle, George realized the wonder of his life came from the lives that
he had touched not how much he has earned; and that it wasn’t worth to throw that all away for
money. He begs the angel to bring him back, and the angel provides.
 Grateful, he arrives to timeline he knew. He hurries to his family, only to be greeted by
Billy, his wife, and the entire town, bailing Building and Loan out of the trouble. A bell on the
Christmas tree also rings, according to his youngest daughter, it means that an angel has earned
his wings.

The film strengthened my beliefs about families. Each member has the responsibility to
support each other, through the storm and through the silver linings. As shown in the film,
despite the setbacks, Billy and Mary stood by, and fought hard to make sure the sacrifices
George made weren’t for nothing. Perhaps it could be said that the strength of the family cannot
be measured by each member’s merit, but by how tight is the knit of each bond to another.

It also reminded me about having a partner too. You have to be as strong as you can be,
when the other can’t; and it’s not as easy as it could be said. You have to guide each other, as
well as the fruits of your love (children) to be as great as you, perhaps to be even greater. That, at
least, is the one of the few things that hasn’t changed through the decades, maybe even ages.

On a more personal note, it reminds me that I am never alone; my family is always on my

back. Despite all my mistakes, and all the mistakes I have yet to make, they will be there to
correct me. It is frightening how easy it is for one to forget this fact.

Furthermore, I find it as another reminder that the merit of one’s life isn’t dictated
through his achievements, but through the achievements of the fellow men he/she had took part
in. Perhaps I am wrong, maybe merit is from that fact, or this fact; however I am sure that
whatever is the worth of one’s merit, one’s family will make anyone’s life wonderful indeed.