Movie Review: It’s a Wonderful Life by Sean Co (2IS-A)

Based on a story by Philip Van Dorren Stern, the movie entitled “It’s a Wonderful Life” is
produced and directed by Frank Capra that is released in the year 1946. The movie’s plot revolves
around the life of a certain person named George Bailey starting from his early youthful days and
then flashforwards to his adulthood. Currently set in the 1900s, the movie specifically focused on
George’s significant events and deeds throughout his life that made an impact as to who he is at
the present time as stated by a being implied to be God depicted in the first-person point of view.

In the movie, God was showing the life, deeds, and events of George Bailey to an angel
named Clarence Oddbody which was later introduced in the movie as George’s guardian angel
who has an important duty to fulfill in order for Clarence to get his “wings” in heaven. Clarence’s
duty is to prevent George from committing suicide and to help him realize the wonderful life he
has in the very end. The thought of committing suicide by George was all led to because of the
heavy problems and mid-life crisis he faced which clouded his perception of seeing the good
things in life and continuously made him doubt his worth.

Eventually, Clarence was able to help George realize the wonderful life he had all along
by letting him experience what he wished for on the falling action. That is to never have been born
or existed. By experiencing a life in which George never existed, he slowly realized his worth and
impact to himself and to the people he knows and loves wherein without him, everyone he knew
and loved has lived a far more miserable life if it weren’t for him. And so, as a resolution, George
pleaded and asked for his guardian angel (Clarence) to put him back to the life in which he existed
as he wants to live again regardless of the problems and struggles, he will face. In the end, George
was put back to the reality in which he existed and was joyful and contented, embracing the life
he has no matter how undesirable it may seem to some and eventually he was helped by his
friends and the people he knew on resolving his recent crucial problem all thanks to his good
deeds that he has done to them in the past.

Other than that, there are also some ethical theories that were portrayed in the movie. An
example of it would be George’s antagonist, Mr. Potter. George and Mr. Potter became rivals
because Mr. Potter is a wealthy but selfish businessman who owns a lot of business where
George lives. On the other hand, George also owns a business passed down to him by his father’s
in which Mr. Potter would like to acquire but George would refuse because he does not approve
of Mr. Potter’s selfish methods. Mr. Potter portrays the ethical theory of materialism because
wealth and possessions are what he would consider being the greatest things one could ever
have in life.
 Another person who portrays an ethical theory is George. Unlike Mr. Potter, George
focuses more on the character and doing the right thing rather than doing some get-rich-quick
scheme. He helped a lot of people financially which resulted in those people to have a better life.
Although he did not live a Godly life in the movie, he kept a virtuous personality above all else
who also prioritizes the greater good. George is a person that inhibits both the virtue ethics and
utilitarianism ethical theories in the movie.

In line with this, Mary who is George’s spouse represents Aristotle’s idea of happiness.
That idea of happiness specifically is contentment through appreciation of what she has. As seen
in the climax of the story, even though George failed to provide Mary and their family a luxurious
and prosperous life, Mary was shown to be a joyful person regardless of her husband’s social
status and income. She was a person who persevered despite the crisis their family faces,
supporting and helping George all throughout.

Personally, this is one of the finest movies I’ve ever watched in my life. I believe that the
lesson of this movies is about realizing how wonderful our life is despite our struggles and failures
for surely a good deed no matter how small or irrelevant one thinks it may be will always have a
greater impact to someone. Just like what it was said in the movie that “no man is failure who has
friends”, the movie also teaches that living a life accompanied with good friends and loved ones
is a better life instead of a life in isolation regardless of the problems one faces because some of
these people would eventually be there for you to help you along the way as long as you also
help. In short, it is related to the cliché saying, “what comes around, goes around.”