A classic Christmas movie, but I'm sure a lot of the younger generations, like mine have yet to see it.
Stars: 4 out of 5
Plot:
This movie starts out with a conversation among the Angels about sending someone down to George Bailey, who is ready to give up the greatest gift from God (his life). Before someone is sent down a story of George's life is told.
It starts when he is young and sledding on shovels with other boys and ends up saving his brother. After this, it shows a clip about a job George had where his boss has just received word that his son died. His boss ends up starting to take pills and becomes a little crazed and hits on George before coming to his senses. George never told anyone about the confrontation.
After this, George is older and buying a suitcase, which he receives as a gift from his old boss. He is planning on traveling overseas and this is his last night in Bedford. There is a party he attends after having a conversation with his dad at dinner. While at this party, he meets a girl from his childhood (Mary) and takes her from her date to dance with her. Mary's rotten date then opens the floor to the pool where George and Mary fall in and then everyone at the party ends up jumping in.
On the walk home, George tells Mary about how pretty she is and how he would give her the moon if she wanted it and about his plans for life. When they stop at a house, Mary looses her robe and George teases her about it. Just then a car stops to tell George that his dad has just had a stroke His dad ends up dying and George gave up his boat trip and had to give up school (he ended up giving his school money to his brother) because they board of his father's business would only keep in business if he took over.
When his brother Harry comes back from school he is married. George gets a little lonely, and ends up at Mary's house and she's so excited to see him, but he ends up pushing away all her invitations. He ends up going to leave and comes back to get his house and Mary is on the phone with Sam which leads George to kissing Mary and then they get married. Before they get to the honeymoon, a bank closes and George needs to use his honeymoon money to keep his business open. With all the drama, Mary managed to create a romantic night for their honeymoon in their new home (the house where George and Mary threw rocks through the windows when they were younger).
Mr. Potter continuously tries to buy the business from George, and at this point in the movie he offers him a job to manage his affairs and make $20,000 a year (which is a lot of money at this time in history), which George declines. When he gets home, Mary announces she is pregnant. It happens she has a boy, and then later a girl and years later during the war she has 2 more.
This is where the story catches up to real time, the day before Christmas. After having a confrontation with Mr. Potter, Uncle Billy loses $8,000 at the bank by accidentally hiding it in a newspaper he hands to Mr. Potter. When Uncle Billy tells George about it, they got on a frantic search for it before George loses his temper with Uncle Billy. When George gets home, he then loses his temper with Mary and his kids. He soon realizes, but not before scaring his family.
In a time of desperation, he goes to Mr. Potter. During this encounter, Mr. Potter says George is worth more dead then alive, which gives George and idea. He ends up at a bar, praying to God. On his drive home he crashes his car and ends up walking to a bridge and looks down at the moving water, when he sees a man jump in and screaming for help. George jumps in to save the man. This stranger ends up being the Angel that came down to help save him. Of course, George doesn't believe that he is an Angel, and says it would be better if he were never born and his wish is granted.
The name of the town is changed to Pottersville, and no one recognizes George. He sees his old boss from childhood and finds out he was in jail for 20 year from poisoning a little kid with pills, the pills George had stopped him from taking. His house is abandoned and worn down from no one living in it for 20 years. His mother doesn't know who he is and Uncle Billy is in the asylum after losing his business. His brother died at the age of 9 after falling through the ice, which George had originally saved him from. Mary never married and when George goes to see he, he freaks her out and causes a scene which attracts the police.
He ends up on the bridge again and pleads to live again. The cop comes over to him and George realizes that the cop recognizes him.When he gets home, the police are waiting for him and says "isn't it great? I'm going to jail." When Mary gets back, Uncle Billy comes in with a basket that has enough money in it from all the people in the town. All those people whose lives George impacted. The police rip up the warrant and even drop a few bucks into the pile. In the end, George opens up a Tom Sawyer book from Clarance that is in the pile and a bell rings announcing an Angel (Clarance) got his wings.
The End
