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In this corner
“It’s a Wonderful Life” is for grownups
“ ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ has everything: drama, comedy, and plenty of romance.”
Brenda Pedraza
Vidamour, a former Newnan Times-Herald writer, has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Georgia State University, where she minored in film. She lives a wonderful life with her true love in an old, run-down house.
Comparing “It’s a Wonderful Life” to “A Christmas Story” is like comparing the trials of a grown man to those of a little boy. There is no comparison. I didn’t realize how much I disliked “A Christmas Story,” directed by Bob Clark, until I had to suffer through it again recently. I saw it for the first time in the early ’90s, back when we rented from Blockbuster. One night, I inadvertently chucked my husband’s personal copy in the Blockbuster bin after hours. He tried to retrieve it but couldn’t get it back. We didn’t replace it. We didn’t care, and still don’t. It’s an immature and obnoxious film, unlike “It’s a Wonderful Life,” directed by Frank Capra, which merits an annual holiday viewing because of its content, relevancy and enduring legacy. “A Christmas Story,” bankrupt of all these merits, should stay in the defunct bins of yesteryear. “It’s a Wonderful Life” has everything: drama (unfulfilled aspirations, dying faith, personal crises), comedy (seriously, take another look at angel Clarence’s eyebrows or lanky Jimmy Stewart doing the Charleston or the old principal leaping into the pool), and plenty of romance. Mary Hatch (Donna Reed) is mesmerizing as she pines for George Bailey (Stewart). Who can forget the charged honeymoon scene when she finally gets her man and they begin their lives together in that dilapidated old house? Perhaps the greatest homage to these new lovers and that dilapidated, old house is in “The Notebook.” Director Nick Cassavetes is far from the only one who has paid Capra tribute. Each time Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell) of “Modern Family” misses that same loose step on his way up the stairs, we’re reminded of Stewart pulling off that same loose newel cap on his way up the stairs. While Capra may be accused of promoting an idealized, romanticized view of the world, in “A Christmas Story,” Clark shows too much of its ugly side – mean-spirited, vulgar and selfish – disguised as comedy. Yet fans claim his story is more true to life. They relate to a father who curses up a storm, to a disgusting
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mall Santa, and to tormenting bullies. I wonder what the movie really meant to Clark, of “Porky’s” fame. (“Porky’s.” Remember that gem?) Did he need a BB gun to shoot his eyes out so as not to confront the distastefulness of his life’s work, a sexy woman’s leg in order to be able to garner at least one “major award,” and lots of Lifebuoy soap to make himself feel clean (innocent) again? As one Toronto film critic argued, “the film strikes a chord with people who had (similar) childhoods … but I’m not sure where that leaves the rest of us.” It’s not relatable to the rest of us because we’re not man-children. Yet, I must admit I have my own childish preferences, all those mindless rom-coms that feed my girlish delusions. But who am I kidding? In my day, I was more Violet Bick than Mary Hatch. In truth, no movie is realistic, but if I had to choose a reality, I’d choose Capra’s version. I want to believe each one of us can make a difference, and that our lives do count for something. I’d rather sign up for “Capracorn” and embrace the morality and universal, lifeaffirming lessons he advocated. Most people feel the same, especially during Christmas. “It’s a Wonderful Life” is No. 1 on American Film Institute’s list of 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time. While I dislike Clark’s sensibilities, I do at least admire Jean Shepherd’s narrated descriptions in “A Christmas Story.” But I would have settled for a podcast of his old radio stories. Sure, I would have missed the “many small, but perfect moments” film critic Roger Ebert said of some scenes, but as director Ed Wood said, “Filmmaking is not about the tiny details, it’s about the big picture.” The big picture boils down to legacy. The legacy of “It’s a Wonderful Life” is immutable, and “A Christmas Story” is simply a waste of time. It’s time for all the Ralphies to grow up and become the George Baileys of the world. NCM