Quicklet on It's a Wonderful Life

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Every year around Christmas time there are a few movies that families all around the world like to pop into the DVD player—and Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life is certainly one of them. This story about a man who gets the chance to see what life would be like if he was never born is a rich, feel-good tale that American families have adored for well over half a century now. With a production budget of just over 3 million dollars, It's a Wonderful Life has grossed about 6.5 million dollars and another 20 million in domestic DVD sales.

At the Academy Awards, It's a Wonderful Life earned five nominations, including Best Actor in a Leading Role (James Stewart as George Bailey), Best Director (Frank Capra), Best Film Editing (William Hornbeck), Best Sound (John Aalberg) and Best Picture. The American Film Institute (AFI) has ranked It's a Wonderful Life the 20th best film of all time in its “100 Years, 100 Movies” list. AFI also ranks the protagonist of the film, George Bailey, as the 9th greatest hero in American cinema and Mr. Potter (the film's antagonist) as the 6th greatest villain of all time. AFI ranked It's a Wonderful Life as the No. 1 Most Inspirational Film. AFI rankedIt's a Wonderful Life as the 3rd best fantasy film of all time. AFI also ranked the film the Most Powerful Movie of All Time. The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) ranks It's a Wonderful Life as the 30th best film of all time.

BOOK OUTLINE

Part 1: Introduction
->Background Information
->Overall Summary
->Character List
->Key Terms
->Major Themes
->Symbols

Part 2: Movie Summary
->A detailed summary of the entire movie

Part 3: Additional Reading
->Related Online Content
->Interesting trivia

BOOK EXCERPT

From the Introduction by Elliot Zanger:

It's a Wonderful Life Will Always Be a Wonderful Movie

It doesn't matter that the film is 65 years old. It doesn't matter that it's shot entirely in black and white. It doesn't matter that the picture quality isn't the greatest, and it certainly doesn't matter that I've seen it about a dozen times. I will always revere It's a Wonderful Life as one of the greatest American stories put to the big screen.

For me, It's a Wonderful Life is more than just a great story. It's a reminder of the way in which I would like to live my own life. During Christmas, families all across the country will crowd into movie theatres old and new to once again see George Bailey's face light up as he holds his wife and kids in his arms. It's a Wonderful Life doesn't just put me in the Christmas spirit. It puts me in the “I love life” spirit.

This is essentially what I'm looking for as I turn on my DVD player and put on It's a Wonderful Life. I'm looking to rekindle the love and appreciation I have for all the blessings in my life. This is exactly what happened to George Bailey in the movie, and it's what can happen to us too as we watch George struggle to realize what the most important part of his life is: his family and friends. It's a Wonderful Life is truly a timeless classic, and a wonderful film for everyone!

...To be continued!

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