For this month’s movie club, I have selected It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), which tells the story of George Bailey, who during an act of desperation, an angel is sent to show him what things would have been like if he never existed.
The film is regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, and currently ranks 21st in the IMDB top 250.
There is much that can be said about this film, as despite it being nearly 80 years old, its message of the importance of community and coming together, along with many other aspects, for example equating Mr. Potter the bank owner to the tech billionaire of your choosing, still has great relevance in today's world.
In addition to the movie itself, there is also an odd history with this film with regards to lapsed copyright and it partially entered the public domain in the 1970s due to a clerical error.
It’s a Wonderful Life is still shown in many independent cinemas around the world every christmas, and I would strongly recommend going to see it on the big screen if possible. As part of this, a number of cinemas host donation screenings where people donate food and supplies to a local food bank as means of payment.
If you are able, and would like to, I would also kindly request that as part of this month’s IndieWeb Movie Club that you consider a seasonal donation to your local food bank as a virtual equivalent of this tradition.
I look forward to reading everyone’s posts on this film, and happy watching!
