Except that's not the true message. "It's a Wonderful Life" is really a study of dysfunctional people who celebrate passivity, alcoholism and irresponsibility.
It's a dysfunctional life!
To prove it, here are the 10 most dysfunctional people in the beloved holiday movie, counting down.
10. Mary Bailey. She's largely above the fray, although her teenage manipulation of George and Sam Wainwright is desperate. And while George is trying to save the town with his banking prowess, she allows the kids to run wild in that atrocious house. (Interestingly, in the non-George world, she's the biggest victim: She isn't married, she's an old maid who works at the library! The horrors! She never married!).
9. Mr. Potter. Unlikable, but one of the few residents of Bedford Falls who stays true to himself. He likes money and power. He's despicable, but at least he's not a sniveling coward like . . . well, you'll see.
8. Tony Wade. Columnist for the Bedford Falls Republic, he remains insanely loyal to the Potter-owned Bedford Falls Raiders, who are about to leave town for the second time in three decades.
7. Ma Bailey. When her husband dies, she transfers all the responsibility to her sons. When Uncle Billy gets so drunk he can't stand up, she gladly sends him home. She's reckless.
6. Bert and Ernie. Bedford Falls' only police officer and cab driver team up to consistently help George avoid repercussions, including when Bert looks the other way when a clearly inebriated George runs into a tree (it could have been a child!) on Christmas Eve.
5. Sam Wainwright. Let's face it: Sam is a skirt-chasing lightweight who makes a lot of money by selling gullible Americans plastic products. He's the guy you would avoid at a class reunion.
4. Harry Bailey. George's better-looking, fly-boy brother saved all those men on that transport and returned a war hero – then expected George to take care of Mom while he chased women and money.
3. Mr. Gower. Sure, his son died in World War I, but his response? He drinks himself senseless, nearly poisons a drug store customer and when confronted, he hits George in the head. He beat a child while drunk, trying to kill a customer. Gower should have been imprisoned.
2. Uncle Billy. Ah, the charming drunk who can't keep records and unwittingly destroys your business. It's really nice that he holds a responsible job at the Bailey Savings and Loan, right? He's what happens when everyone allows you to avoid consequences.
1. George Bailey. The ostensible hero of the story, he is really the chief enabler. Bailey consistently refuses to stand up for himself, then whines about lost opportunities. That doesn't even include the fact that Bailey was a grown man when he began pursuing teenage Mary and the fact that his solution to a life crisis was to get drunk, then drive through town. Don't get me started on the fact that he raises his misbehaving kids in an unsafe home.
Enjoy the movie!
Reach Brad Stanhope at bradstanhope@hotmail.com.
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