It's A Wonderful Movie

Last night I watched "It's a Wonderful Life." Every Christmas since I graduated from college, I have watched this film. And I cry every time I watch it.

I know George Bailey will be okay, because I have seen the movie before. I know Mr. Gower will not kill that boy, and I know that Harry Bailey will come back at the end and tell George Bailey he is the richest man in the whole town. Personally, I think he says this because he married Ruth Dakin and gets to work doing research in a glass factory.

I will admit I don't really know who Frank Capra is – I mean, I know he directed the film, and he directed a lot of other films, but it is not like I know what he did. Sorry. That was when my grandparents were watching movies.

What I love is that there are all sorts of neat stuff to see in the movie. I once got a Trivial Pursuit question right – what film is on the marquee of the movie theater in It's a Wonderful Life. Well, it was not my Trivial Pursuit question; it was someone else's. But I knew the freekin' answer.

I wanted to compose a top ten list of Christmas movies. I know "It's a Wonderful Life" will be on the list. No doubt about it. It is a great movie, and if you have not seen it, I sort of screwed up all of the plot twists. I doubt there are few under 24 who have not seen this, at least once. For those of you who haven't, well sorry.

I would never put "A Christmas Story" on my list. I knew it was a classic, so I watched it a few years ago. I was not entertained. No warm feelings, no crying, no naked Santa. What is the point of the movie? That the main character will undergo years of psychotherapy because he grew up in a screwed up household? Sorry, not my cup of tea. Or cocoa, for that matter.

"Miracle on 34th Street" is another classic, and I bawl when they are bringing in all of the letters in the court scene. Kris Kringle seems like the best real-life Santa going on. And by the end of the film, I was wondering if in 1947, Santa Claus was stuck in a mental institution in New York. Hey, I believe in Santa Claus, and it could happen. The Great Pumpkin = Not real. Santa Claus = Real.

I always watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" too, but really, if I just listen to Linus's speech, I am good for the season. His voice is so sweet, and it just makes me feel so good. Yeah, I know, I am "feeling good" from movies, not from things that are real. But movies are part of my Christmas tradition, and darned it, I like 'em. I am not much of a television watcher, so these movies are sort of like my video indulgence.

Maybe I will make a list of good movies and why I like them. Not today, I have Christmas shopping to do. At work. I love the Internet.