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Is it really a Wonderful Life?

Does this movie teach people to be satisfied with less? This movie is a "happy pill" for people who have given up on their dreams. George Baily from childhood into adulthood had dreams and goals. Things he wanted to do FOR HIMSELF, places he wanted to go FOR HIMSELF and yet at the end of the movie he appears to be happy to have settled for nothing that he wanted. He has a family dependent on him, oh heck, the whole town appears to be dependent on him and yet what does he get out of it? A trip to far off places, and education, a decent house that isn't falling apart at the seams? No, he gets bailed out of going to jail because someone else who is such a looser he is also dependent on George who can't keep track of thousands of dollars that George almost gets arrested!

After years of watching this film and loving it as the classic feel good Christmas movie, finally this year I realized how depressing this movie really is. George is now 40ish and trapped in a one-horse town with no hope of ever escaping and a lifetime of watching everyone else get what they want except him.

Mary breaks a window in a dumpy house and wishes to marry George, Harry wishes to go to college and not get saddled with the pennyless family business, everyone in town gets to move into Baily Park and out of Mr. Potter's slums and George gets to "pay" for it all by selling out his own life....yes, he should be sainted but that wasn't one of his dreams either!

This is a sad movie about a man who can see his whole future ahead of him as a long empty road going no where and no amount of money in a basket at the end of the movie is worth that.

Learn more about this author, Kate S.
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