By Shelisa Payne
For those who have yet to feel this holiday?s spirit, nothing will warm the heart like watching a favorite holiday movie and what better film than the seasonal classic ?It?s a Wonderful Life.?
This revered film will be shown by the Special Collections Film Series for its annual screening 7 p.m. Thursday in the Harold B. Lee Library Auditorium.
After more than fifty years, this has become a must-see for the season. Curator of the Motion Picture Archives James D''Arc said the screening of this film is their Christmas gift to the community. The James Stewart Papers, donated to BYU''s L. Tom Perry Special Collections, is the inspiration behind this annual presentation. Stewart?s own film copy, included in the collection, will be used for the showing.
?It?s a rare treat to see this pristine copy on a theatrical screen and with an audience,? D?Arc said.
Renowned director Frank Capra and lead actor James Stewart, who plays George Bailey, referred to this film as their favorite work, even decades after its completion.
This story, as most movie-lovers know, tells of the beloved everyday hero George Bailey (Stewart) from small town of Bedford Falls. His great courage was evident at a young age in a selfless act to save his brother from drowning. Giving up his dreams to travel the world or going to college, George stayed home to manage the family business after his father passed away.
With little monetary wealth, George had acquired an abundance in friendships, but Potter, the film?s villain, convinces George that he is worth more dead. Whie George is contemplating suicide, enter Clarence, an angel who has yet to earn his wings, who is sent to help convince George that his life is worth living. Clarence shows George how the world is a better place because he had been born.
?It?s a Wonderful Life? offers a timely story with a universal message. It effectively touches upon one basic truth of life that each person, no matter how apparently insignificant, has the power to make a difference, and the worth of an individual cannot be measured in dollars, but is about the character a person develops.
Capra successfully incorporated impacting elements of romance, comedy and tragedy into this ?feel-good? film. Grandma Stilson, from Orangeville, Utah, said she has watched this film every year since its release in 1947. She said this film is a classic because of its messages of love, giving and the purpose life that leaves a warm feeling in your heart.
Surprisingly, ?It?s A Wonderful Life,? nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Actor and Director, was not a big hit on its initial release, but after more than 50 years since, it has gained legendary status among generations of viewers.