14 users responded in this post

Subscribe to this post comment rss or trackback url
mygif
IslandLiberal said on December 4th, 2007 at 4:34 pm

I’m not sure I follow on “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Jimmy’s friends all rally to help him thanks to his lifetime of giving up his dreams to help them, but he’s no better off than he was before.

ReplyReply
mygif

Given that he was on the brink of annihilation with no job and no money and about to lose his home and probably his family and getting ready to jump off a bridge, being restored to that is a pretty big deal.

It’s like Extreme Home Makeover, except with an angel instead of Ty.

ReplyReply
mygif
Cookie McCool said on December 4th, 2007 at 5:49 pm

What I always liked best about a beloved family old-yimey feelgood warm and fuzzy classic like “It’s A Wonderful Life” is what a complete jackhole Jimmy Stewart’s character is throughout most of the film. Man, what a dick. It’d be more believable that everyone would rally around him if he were playing Buttons the gentlemanly but slightly homicidal clown.

ReplyReply
mygif
IslandLiberal said on December 4th, 2007 at 7:40 pm

The whole movie up until that point had been about how George was a pillar of the community and was always sacrificing for others, so the idea that this earned him some friends seems in keeping with that. The point of the movie is that Jimmy realizes that he has had an impact on his community, which he hadn’t really understood before, and that it doesn’t matter so much that he won’t do all the things he dreamed of doing as a youth, and his ideas of material success are less important than his slice of virtuous small-town America. His friends coming through for him in the end is part of him realizing, not just the extent of what he’s accomplished, but the extent that everyone else recognizes it.

Basically, it’s a feelgood movie where a guy gives up his dreams to help others, and, when he’s in a tight spot, they all help him. It’s not about morality being its own reward, but there are different kinds of rewards, the type that, say, Mr. Potter, doesn’t understand (or value).

ReplyReply
mygif
Rand Brittain said on December 4th, 2007 at 9:08 pm

I think it’s worth mentioning that what scares Scrooge into repenting isn’t the fear of dying- he’ll be dead in a fairly short number of Christmases either way. What really scares him is the idea that he’ll die and that nobody will care, because he never gave anyone a reason to mourn him. What he realizes is that if he changes his way of living, then not only can he make other people happier, but he’ll be happier himself, just like he once was and his nephew currently is.

In the same vein, what George learns is that he does make a difference to the people around him. Essentially, both stories have the same moral: that you can and should make a difference to the people around you.

ReplyReply
mygif

I was just disappointed nobody mentioned /The Nightmare Before Christmas/: the x-mas movie with the cool of Halloween plus stop-motion goodness.

ReplyReply
mygif

…and there it is, the reproach! I guess to Zed, it doesn’t matter that there, right there in front of me was the piece of paper saying, “Nighmare Before Christmas.” It was even underlined.

Did I get to it? NO. Chagrin.

Thank Dog for Island Liberal in this thread — because I gotta tell you, I hear from lots of people who have a problem with “It’s a Wonderful Life” and they all mention the George Bailey as Dickwad problem. And there’s the nut of it. So few of us these days even REGISTER the point that his deeds for others made a difference to them, and to him, because we live in a world where how you appear — how you seem — is more important than your deeds. Brrr.

Anyway, good jousting with you Christopher. Hope to see you back soon. And you’re dead on about sweet, sweet Opus…

..even if you CLEARLY are a CRYPTO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL LOVERRR.

Keep it evil,
DMc

ReplyReply
mygif

Denis: heart’s cockles now warmed. Carry on.

[is at the moment listening to the repeat: MGK sounds wierd–less nerdy than expected ;o) ]

ReplyReply
mygif

I promise in future to speak only in Klingon and with an exaggerated lisp, Zed.

ReplyReply
mygif

I’m listening to the repeat myself — was unable to catch the first broadcast ’cause of work.

Fascinating to hear what MGK actually sounds like.

I read somewhere that ‘Breathed’ rhymes with ‘method’ — I used to pronounce it like ‘breathe with a d’ on the end myself’. (I also regret never having seen ‘A Wish For Wings That Work’.)

But these ‘acceptable snafus’ happen in pop culture: ‘Seuss’ apparently rhymes with ‘Royce’ when pronounced correctly.

Not to mention in my youth, I saw many Marvel covers that promised ‘came-o’ appearances by characters I really liked. Hardly acceptable — I just want it clear I’m sitting on no high horse.

Your segment really should have been longer, guys. Well done.

Looking forward to seeing your inevitable reappearance next year. 😉

ReplyReply
mygif

Talk about snafus — that should be *hearing* — my high horse (that I’m not sitting on) is legless now.

ReplyReply
mygif

Now, remember, kids, if you want more MGK on CBC, be sure to email the nice folks at Q and let them know how much you want it!

ReplyReply
mygif

One final thing that you may or may not find interesting.

I’m a librarian, and took a phone call from a patron yesterday. She was looking for the DVD of White Christmas, which we didn’t have. She wanted an example of a Christmas special from that classic ‘black and white’ period — I didn’t both mentioning that ‘White Christmas’ was in colour.

Anyway, I suggested ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ and the Alastair Sim version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ as a substitute.

Her response to ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ was ‘Is it Christmassy?’

I said ‘yes’, but you may have had an ally there, MGK. 😉

ReplyReply
mygif

I will definitely e-mail Q with that in mind.

ReplyReply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Please Note: Comment moderation may be active so there is no need to resubmit your comments