Merry Christmas from Bedford Falls

As there's been no decent Christmas films on telly today, we dusted down the Frank Capra box-set and stuck It's A Wonderful Life in the DVD player. It goes without saying that this is one of the all-time classic Hollywood movies. Many ( sad, deluded and bitter) people think it too sentimental and corny, but that's just wrong. ( No fence-sitting here!) The main character, George Bailey as played by James Stewart, faces a seemingly-endless series of tragedies and disappointments and ultimately contemplates suicide, before realising how much he means to his loved ones and deciding to live. Jimmy Stewart gives a totally convincing performance of a man at the end of his tether; a performance which grounds the potentially sickly-sweet themes of family and divine intervention which run through the film. There's also a lot of humour in the film, from the broad-stroke characters like Clarence and Uncle Billy, to the more subtle interchanges between James Stewart and Donna Reed. Anyway, It's A Wonderful Film, and it wouldn't seem like Christmas without it.



Soundtrack: Buffalo Gals Won't You Come Out Tonight, James Stewart and Donna Reed.