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new way to look at "its a wonderful life"

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    Posted: December 24 2021 at 10:30pm

I realized something while watching "It's a Wonderful Life" recently. It was something I missed the first 326 times I watched it. That is, I think the hero of the story isn't George, it's Mary. The movie starts off with Mary praying for God to be with George. Her prayer (and others) is the catalyst for the angel, Clarence, being sent to George. Mary is the one who sees the beauty of the old broken down house. "It's full of romance, that old place." George sees empty space; Mary sees a space that can be filled with a family's love. That's why George kisses the broken banister knob in the end; he finally sees what Mary always saw in that house. Mary saw it on the day of their wedding. She was the one who transformed the house into "honeymoon suite." Of course, that happened after she had the idea to offer her $2000 honeymoon money to the people of the town during the bank run. When George is depressed by his friends moving onward and upward in the world and think he's a disappointment to his wife because of it, Mary makes it clear that she "didn't want to marry anybody else in town." Never complaining, she worked "day after day remaking the old Granville house into a home." This while having 4 children and running the USO. Finally, Mary is the one who goes all over town to ask for help for her husband. Uncle Billy remarks, "Mary did it, George! Mary did it!" I had never noticed her expression before when Uncle Billy says this. She's in the background as he says it, and she mouths "No..." while she shakes her head and moves further into the background. It's an incredibly subtle but important feature of her character: do good for others, but let others receive the credit. She moves fully into the background so that everyone giving money to George can come front and center. This was all orchestrated by Mary but she fades into the background.


never looked at it that way but yes , i agree have seen something here that pulled it all together , her faith was far more powerful than any of the other actions or beliefs in the other characters , she was the pivot point of the story when you really look at it close 

im spending the day tomorrow with my mother in law at the nursing home , not even sure she realizes its christmas other than we have all told her it was on multiple occasions leading up to this , this will go down as one of the most different of my lifetime , there have been a few over the last 70+ years that went down in my mental book as different/strange/strained/unpleasant/unforgotten this is a new experience because of all the circumstances , let you know how it goes , 


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote britrifles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 25 2021 at 2:39am
That’s been one of my favorite Christmas movies.  And having read this, I never really saw it that way until now, but it’s so obvious!  Thanks for sharing that A Square.  

For so many, Christmas is a struggle.  

Merry Christmas my friend. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 25 2021 at 5:51pm
just been watching "its a wonderful life" on the TV , with a little different eye 
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