It's A Wonderful Life

“Frank called me one day and said, ‘I have an idea for a movie, why don’t you come over and I’ll tell you?’ So I went over and we sat down and he said, ‘This picture starts in heaven’. That shook me. “ 

- James Stewart - Actor

For my Introduction to Speech class, we were asked to select a scene from a movie, show it, and follow with an analysis of the scene. I chose my favorite movie It's a Wonderful Life, which is a story of George Bailey who placed aside his dream to design great buildings and to travel, saved the town of Bedford Falls from an evil businessman, Potter.  At George's moment of despair, an angel, Clarence, showed George who "wished he never had been born," how his family and friends lives would have been affected.  After seeing "Pottersfield," George realizes how "wonderful" his life truly had been.

But there is another viewpoint of this movie.  It is a story of souls/people who kept George on track to save the town through the use of strategic interpersonal communication.  The pivotal scene that I showed in my speech presentation was the emotional confrontation between George and Mary, George's eventual wife.  After George's brother had married, George knew he would have carry on the Bailey Building and Loan and put aside his dreams again.  While George dreamed of building cities and traveling, Mary dreamed of staying in Bedford Falls, married to George, and fixing up a rundown house.  In the scene, Mary through music and shared memories tries to reach George who becomes angry and leaves.  George returns because he forgot his hat, and Mary tries to reach him once more.  The scene ends with George shaking Mary saying he doesn't want to stay in Bedford Falls, "he wants to do what he wants to do," she begins to cry, and he dissolves and kisses her because he loves her.

In our American culture, we celebrate the success and perseverance of the individual overcoming obstacles through self-sacrifice.  What we don't always see is that individuals throughout our lives intervene to keep us on track to create a "Wonderful Life."  I wrote in my blog entry "Synchronicity and God's Grace" about "Unus mundus" which is God's grace or energy at work.  I also wrote that while our humanity is mortal, our souls are eternal.

In It's Wonderful Life, George, Mary and the rest of the characters are not only mortal, but their souls are compasses connected to God and to each other.  If we can become more conscious of the eternal and of God at work in our lives, we can make the better choices for others and ourselves.  

In the concluding scene, all of George's friends arrive joyously to his home to save him from Potter and impending jail.  But the scene is was not only a story of all George's friends grateful for his sacrifices, but a celebration because, he was now "in on it." His friends through their souls kept him on track through strategic interpersonal communication to create "It's A Wonderful Life."