“It’s a Wonderful Life” is the Best Christmas Movie

Ashwin Krishnaswamy OpinionsTeam

While most Christmas movies talk about meaningless things like Santa and snow, “It’s a Wonderful Life” captures one of the most enduring truths: while each of us struggle to find our own meaning in life, we forget that there are lots of people who depend on us.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” centers around George Bailey, a warmhearted man living in the rural town of Bedford Falls. Bailey runs the town’s only home loaning agency, working to prevent the town from being bought by the rich and selfish Henry F. Potter. Although everybody in the town adores Bailey, a misplaced check causes Bailey’s agency to verge on bankruptcy, threatening many of the local citizens’ homes. This pushes Bailey to his emotional breaking point, and he thinks of committing suicide.

He stands on the edge of a bridge, about to jump off and end his life, when a mysterious man claiming to be his guardian angel appears and saves him. The angel then shows Bailey what the town of Bedford Falls would look like if he had never existed. The horrors of the town— Potter owns everything, there is lots of crime and many people’s lives are ruined—causes Bailey to realize his worth, and he begs to live again (and of course, his wish is magically granted). Then, he rushes home to his wife and children and he rejoices with a newfound appreciation for life.

Of course, as it was produced in the 1940s, the movie portrays an older, less diverse and gender-equal America: the only nonwhite character is a household servant, and all the women follow the traditional female housewife role.

Additionally, I’ve never seen a movie that makes me appreciate life more than “It’s A Wonderful Life” does. Sure, I love a good “Mission: Impossible” movie, but the pieces of art that are most valuable are those that tackle universal themes about life. “It’s a Wonderful Life” leaves the viewer with a sense of gratitude for existence and a desire to be kind to everyone in the world.

Ultimately, the difference between science and art is that science seeks to understand the world in objective terms, and art seeks to capture the subjective human experience. Movies are one of the most powerful forms of art because movies capture the world closest to how we experience it. However, while many movies focus on action, shock value or making the viewer feel good, “It’s a Wonderful Life” moves us to view life in a new way, and to be the best version of ourselves.

So, this month, when you’re looking for a good holiday movie to watch with your family, don’t settle for a sweet but trivial movie like “Elf” or “The Grinch”; watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.”