Winter Warmer - It's a Wonderful Life

This winter warmer event is organised by St Robert's Club with the support of Harrogate Film Society. The film will be screened upstairs at St Robert's Club and the ticket price will include soup and a roll, together with a hot drink and a mince pie. Tickets will be available via the film society website or at St Robert's Club and places are strictly limited to 25.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)

130 min (Certificate U)  |  USA  |  Drama  |  Dir. Frank Capra  |  IMDb 8.6 

Who doesn't know this story? George Bailey has spent his entire life giving of himself to the people of Bedford Falls. He has always longed to travel but never had the opportunity in order to prevent rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town. All that prevents him from doing so is George's modest building and loan company, which was founded by his generous father. But on Christmas Eve, George's Uncle Billy loses the business's $8,000 while intending to deposit it in the bank. Mr. Potter finds the misplaced money and hides it from Uncle Billy. When the bank examiner discovers the shortage later that night, George realizes that he will be held responsible and sent to jail and the company will collapse, finally allowing Mr. Potter to take over the town. Thinking of his wife, Mary, their four children, and others he loves will be better off with him dead, he contemplates suicide. But the prayers of his loved ones result in his guardian angel named Clarence Odbody coming to Earth to help him, with the promise of earning his wings. He shows him what things would have been like if he had never been born.

I've always thought that the reason It's A Wonderful Life has had such enduring popularity is that more than in any other film it shows what can be the value of a single individual and the contribution to the greater good they can make.  George Bailey as portrayed by James Stewart is the kind of every man hero we can all identify with. He's got the every day problems to be sure, raising and providing for a family, but he's got bigger problems than that. Fate has made him the rallying point of opposition in his small town of Bedford Falls to the "richest and meanest man in town", embodied in Lionel Barrymore.

A timeless holiday classic, It's a Wonderful Life was nominated for 5 Academy Awards, including Directing for Capra, Actor for James Stewart and Best Picture.