It’s a Wonderful Life

Every year in December I look forward to watching the 1946 black and white movie It’s a Wonderful Life. I normally am not a fan of most old movies but I actually enjoy this one so much that I make an effort to find out when it is on and watch it every year.

This year It’s a Wonderful Life has already been on once and I missed it so I’ll have to catch it December 24th at 8:00 eastern/7:00 central on NBC, just in case you want to watch too! So why Do I like It’s a Wonderful Life so much?

The Story

I won’t ruin the story for those who haven’t seen the movie yet. The movie focuses around a family that runs a small Savings & Loan (a bank) in town and shows the struggles of a smaller business against a local tycoon. The owner runs into troubles and the local tycoon is breathing down the neck of the small Savings & Loan.

The owner considers committing suicide so the life insurance payout will help his family survive the rough times (my guess is life insurance policies were a bit different back in the 1940′s) then an angel shows up and shows him what life would be like without owner being around. You’ll have to watch the movie to see how it all turns out but it is a great story. That isn’t the only reason I enjoy the movie though…

A Different Time Period

It’s a Wonderful Life was filmed in the 1940′s, a time very different from today. I grew up in the age of having video game systems, personal computers and cell phones. The life they live in the movie is completely foreign to me. I try to imagine how different it would be to live life in that time period but it is so different it is hard to grasp.

Part of me thinks I’d enjoy living back in the time before computers, tablets and the technology of today. I’d actually know my neighbors and have a personal relationship with most of the businesses I dealt with. Life would be much simpler when it comes to making decision and there would be a lot less noise (visual, media etc) assaulting my senses non-stop all day long.

We live in a time when, for the right price, you can have instant gratification. Some people get smart and delay or limit this possible endless instant gratification to get themselves in a better position down the road while still living a decent life in the present. I feel like back in the 1940′s people probably appreciated the things and experiences they had much more than a lot of people do today.

Money only existed in cash, coins and checks. You’d definitely have to know how to write a check and credit cards wouldn’t be an option so no cash back credit cards for you.

Granted, there would be a lot of sacrifices as well. I’m sure that many of the tasks that take almost no time today would take up entire days of work. Laundry would definitely be one of those tasks. There would be no quick runs to the grocery store in your car… if I would even be rich enough to have one. There is no way you could just hop on your computer and get directions from Google Maps either! It’d be a completely different lifestyle for sure.

Have you seen It’s a Wonderful Life? Would you turn back time and live in a different time period than today? I think it’d be neat to see what it was like but after growing up with the many conveniences of modern life I’m sure there is no way I could do it!