It's a Wonderful Life

I might as well begin with my absolute all-time favorite movie to kick this whole thing off.

"It's a Wonderful Life" is a Frank Capra film starring James Stewart and Donna Reed as George and Mary Bailey. There are a slew of other stars as well, such as the great Lionel Barrymore.

I have the original uncut version which is in black and white. There isn't a rating on it, but it's got to be "G" since there's nothing at all in the movie that would make it rate lower.

This is a story of love, of hope, of family, of trials, and of victory. A financial difficulty has thrown George into a depression where he believes he's worth more dead than alive (life insurance). Many prayers are sent to heaven for him and God sends a guardian angel to work with George and help him see what the world would have been like if he'd never been born, and how he impacted those around him for the positive.

Usually thought of as a Christmas movie because of the setting, to me this is a movie worth viewing anytime of the year. It's not a Christmas story per se, but a story to make us stop and think how we ourselves have impacted our own friends and family, and how our lives play out to the betterment of others if we can just see it that way. And how the people who love us will come alongside us in our hour of need. It shows us that we aren't born for failure.

Technorati tags: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Christmas