Future Classic - It's a Wonderful Life

You know you've found a special movie when it's aired on network TV - with commercials - and you stay glued. I discovered one tonight.

It's a Wonderful Life premiered tonight at 8 PM on WCAU (NBC-10, Philadelphia). I missed this when it came out in theaters, and that's straight up my bad, because it should be a lock for Best Picture. Shot in arthouse black-and-white, this period piece follows the life and times of George Bailey, portrayed by newcomer James Stewart. Oh, and get used to hearing that name - this raw talent exudes superstardom. Fresh meat, too - IMDB doesn't even have an entry, aside from a throwaway namesake born exactly a century ago. Part-James Franco, part-Ed Norton, expect to see TMZ-bait Stewart elsewhere.

The movie serves as a scathing send-up of modern-day Wall Street's woes, but cast in small-town 1946 and told from the perspective of a do-good who fights demons inside and out. Corporate greed takes the form of Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore), a powerful but despicable slumlord who takes over the Bailey Building & Loan Association and undoes the altruistic spirit the Bailey family spent generations imbuing. Meanwhile, George initially struggles with a conflict between his personal ambitions and his familial obligations. His turmoil is exacerbated when a large deposit is lost, threatening the welfare of the company. Depressed, he spirals downward and contemplates suicide. Sixth Senseian twists follow. Director Frank Capra is clearly of the M. Night school, to the viewer's delight.

Parables are sprinkled throughout. It's as though Capra picked up and studied the daily paper before heading to the set. Thinly-veiled references to the recent $700 billion bailout, the ascension of Obama, and even the menace of global warming rear their head. The story clearly hopes to strike a chord with 2008, and succeeds more than it fails.

But the real magic of It's a Wonderful Life is the cinematography. The authenticity is astounding to the degree you'll wonder when the footage was filmed. Accentual affectations are straight out of the 1940s. Costumery is spot-on to the subject era. The production employs remarkably effective shooting techniques: the soft focus on George's belle Mary (Donna Reed), the distorted grain overlay mimicking scratched celluloid, even ungraceful scene transitions to stay accurate to the period. My only critique is screenwriter Philip Van Doren Stern's over-the-top dialogue. Stern prescribes more than a healthy dose of generational slang, giving the movie a pulpy, campy feel. Nineteen-forties-speak proliferates: "Put up your hands! No fast moves!" shouts the police officer. "Bert! What do you know about that!" an ecstatic George offers. Cutesy, but hardly believable.

It's rather likely It's a Wonderful Life will fast fade into the canon of Hollywood. Its fate of forgettability is sadly attributable more to poor marketing than poor filmmaking. The flick was distributed by RKO Pictures, who hasn't seen a major release since 1998's Mighty Joe Young - a financial flop and critical pan. It's likely a boon for the flailing movie house, but a loss for the moviegoing public. Few eyes will befall this masterpiece. Make yours two of them, and snag this gem at your local redbox or bump it to the top of your Netflix queue.

But stop at CVS - you'll need tissues.