It's a Wonderful Life NOT

Wendell Jamieson writes about IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE for the NY Times. He points out that not only is the title, at best, ironic, but also, the story is a complete downer. I've read this kind of story before, by Mr. Jamieson ticks off a good number of horrors. Here are just a few:

"George’s brother, Harry (Todd Karns), almost drowns in a childhood accident; Mr. Gower, a pharmacist, nearly poisons a sick child; and then George, a head taller than everyone else, becomes the pathetic older sibling creepily hanging around Harry’s high school graduation party. That night George humiliates his future wife, Mary (Donna Reed), by forcing her to hide behind a bush naked, and the evening ends with his father’s sudden death."

Another good point: Bedford Falls is the kinda sleepy place where they roll up the sidewalks at night, while the parallel universe Bedford Falls, "Pottersville," is full of hot jazz, hot women and booze all night.

I love this movie too, as does Mr. Jamieson, who gives a lot of food for thought. Some good movies, like WONDERFUL LIFE, just get better and more nuanced as we age. Certainly its evil rich banker guy, played by Lionel Barrymore, is a prescient caricaturization of our current Vice President.

The only lesson I take from the movies is that there are other people in this world, people who love you, who will take advantage if you don't speak up and tell 'em you're gonna go after your own dreams now.

My favorite image from the movie.