In defense of It's a Wonderful Life

[kenjari]

"It's a Wonderful Life" has always been one of my favorite holiday movies. However, I think that it has gotten a somewhat underserved reputation for being overly sentimental, or even schmaltzy. Sure, it's got a warm-fuzzies extra-happy ending, and perhaps a few overly-obvious narrative conveniences. But I think Capra saves it all from being cheesy or smarmy by really earning the heart-warming finish. I think he does this by not retreating from the more emotionally raw moments, and also passing up some opportunities for conventional sentimentality.
For instance, there is the moment when George Bailey learns that his father has died. At that point, George is in the midst of some playful banter with Mary. There is very little Hollywood suavity about the way he takes leave of her. He is confused and abrupt, like someone who doesn't really know what to do. There is even less Hollywood suavity during the scene in which George finally declares his feelings for Mary. The scene is almost entirely lacking in typical "cue the lush strings" movie romance. The interaction between George and Mary leading up to the big kiss is instead fraught with tension and awkwardness.
Capra also does not water down the painful moments, either. The part where George averts a near tragedy when the town pharmacist, upset over the sudden death of his son, makes a potentially fatal mistake in preparing s prescription has a starkness to it. Again, the interactions between the characters are not smooth. Up until the end of the sequence, the pharmacist is remarkably unpleasant towards 12-year-old George. First, he is drunken and surly, then frighteningly angry, and not until the very end does he show any good feeling for George. Later, when the $3000 goes missing, George's desperation and despair is genuinely hard to watch. And there are plenty of scenes earlier in the movie in which George's very real frustration, disappointment, and even anger are allowed to clearly show through. Furthermore, Capra pulls few punches with Potter's greed and cruelty. While Potter is not purely two-dimensional, he is never shown to have a soft side, and there is no warm-fuzzy reconciliation between Potter and George.
I also like the anti-greed message embedded in the movie, alot of which is still relevant today. I love the speech George Bailey makes to Potter early in the movie: Just remember this, Mr. Potter: that this rabble you're talking about, they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath?

Comments

[apintrix.livejournal.com]

I confess to a soft spot for this movie too. I watched it literally every year growing up, until I was in college. I could probably quote the whole thing. In fact, I often quote from it:
"I do not want (x). I want to look at my flower."

Aww, now I feel all mushy. Zuzu's petals!

[kenjari.livejournal.com]

It's going to sleep she doesn't want to do. Then her father tells her that if she goes to sleep, she can dream about her flower, and it will be a whole garden of roses. It's such a sweet scene, made bittersweet because it occurs after the loss of the $3000 and everything goes wrong for George.

[apintrix.livejournal.com]

yep yep-- I meant that algebraically, not as unsurety. I quote it in multiple situations.

[stolen-tea.livejournal.com]

I never saw it until a few years ago. I was expecting it to be sappy, sentimental, schmaltzy, as everyone called it a "classic". But, as with Casablanca, I was pleasantly surprised. :)