Why 76-Year-Old ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ Still Resonates Today

It’s that time of year again, when a 76 year old film stirs up thoughts about life, love, and purpose.

It’s a Wonderful Life is considered an American classic.

The 1946 film tells the story of George Bailey, a man down on his luck who is contemplating suicide. As angels discuss what to do, George’s life plays in flashback. Rolling back into the present, a Guardian angel, Clarence, shows George how the lives he touched would have been different had he never been born.

While it starts in with a dark dramatic moment, the film shifts to a lighter biography of one man and his interactions with family and friends, culminating in the understanding that, as the film says, “No man is a failure who has friends.”

Directed by Frank Capra, the film is based on the short story The Greatest Gift by Phillip Van Doren Stern, the narrative is loosely based on the 1943 Charles Dickens novella A Christmas Carol.

In its initial release the production was not a hit and did not even reach its financial breakeven point.

When the film’s copyright lapsed in 1974, with the work falling into the public domain, which allowed it to be broadcast without licensing or royalty fees, scores of television networks and local stations began airing It’s a Wonderful Life almost to the point of ad nauseum during the holiday season.

But, these repeated airings pushed the film into a new category — holiday favorite.

This may explain why scores of ‘80s and ‘90s television series used the film as inspiration for episodes, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Friends, The Simpsons, Moonlighting, and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, among others.

After some legal maneuvering, the rights to It’s a Wonderful Life were regained and in 1994, the studio holding the reigns sold exclusive broadcast rights to NBC.

Now, NBC traditionally shows the film only twice, both in primetime, on Thanksgiving weekend and on Christmas Eve.

In addition to this, recently, it’s a Wonderful Life has returned to theaters via screenings hosted by Fathom Events.

Also, there are also at least two annual “It’s A Wonderful Life” festivals – one held in Seneca Falls, New York, site of a museum dedicated to the film, and another in Indiana, Pennsylvania, the hometown of Stewart, the actor who played George Bailey.

And in 2022, a live table read of the script took place as well. The Ed Asner Family Center’s 2022 Virtual Table Read of It’s a Wonderful Life, featured actors Brendan Fraser, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen, JK Simmons, Jean Smart, Ken Jeong, and Brent Spiner.

Although it underperformed at the box office during its initial release, today, It’s a Wonderful Life is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time and among the best Christmas films.

It was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and has been recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 best American films ever made. It was No. 11 on the American Film Institute‘s 1998 greatest movie list, No. 20 on its 2007 greatest movie list, and No. 1 on its list of the most inspirational American films of all time. It’s a Wonderful Life was designated as “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” and added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.

What the film does, other than offering an evening of holiday entertainment, is ask the viewer to contemplate what the world would be like if they, or others, hadn’t existed.

I rarely write in first person here, but I welcome this opportunity to take a moment and reflect on my own life.

Doing so, I can say that if I’d never been born, I know of three lovely young ladies who may not exist if I hadn’t been there to facilitate the introduction of their parents.

And I think about those around me as well, often wondering if I would have made it through college without the close friend who helped me stay in school when I was ill, tutoring me and supporting me in unimaginable ways.

Looking around, I think about the people who are generous with their time and their money all in an effort to help others. What if they had never been born?

In one of the most poignant scenes in It’s a Wonderful Life, angel Clarence points out to George Bailey, “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?

Forgiving for the time period appropriate use of the less inclusive term ‘man’ in this statement, what Clarence says is absolutely true.

And no matter what time of year, no one should ever forget this.

‘It’s a Wonderful Life ‘ airs Saturday, December 24^th at 8/7c on NBC and is available for streaming on Tubi, PLEX, and other online services.

Tickets for an encore performance of The Ed Asner Family Center’s 2022 Virtual Table Read of It’s a Wonderful Life, are available until January 1st, 2023.