Comments on: Lessons in Manliness from It’s a Wonderful Life

By: Phil

Phil — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:09:56 +0000

Great post (which I wish I’d found sooner) – an excellent portrayal of why this is my absolute favorite movie of all time. Thanks…

By: R Noessel

R Noessel — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 15:50:29 +0000

In regards to Jimmy Stewart – he kept in touch every year with a Christmas card to those he served with in World War 2. I happen to know this as my brother was in the army for many years and one Christmas I spent with him we visited some army friends of his. I was looking at Christmas cards displayed on the mantel and one of them was signed Jimmy Stewart. I wondered if this was THE Jimmy Stewart and I was told that the man whose house I was in had served with Mr. Stewart during WW2 and every year received a card from him.
I have always remembered what a kind gesture this was and a showing of gratitude on Mr. Stewart’s part for men who served in WW2.

By: Cindy Sue Causey

Cindy Sue Causey — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 12:18:04 +0000

Found you a little bit ago, goodness only knows now from whither.. Love this piece, in particular where you highlighted Violet as part of how to treat women.. That was cool..

Will be sharing along the way when opportunity presents..

Cyber hugs from North Georgia, USA.. :)

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:08:20 +0000

George was a real man because he had to make the hard decisions. Sometimes being a man is doing something you hate just because it’s the right thing to do. Years later you may find out it was the right choice and the choice that made you the happiest and was best for you. George finds this out at the end of the movie.

A few random lines I recall from scenes where George had to and did make the manly decision despite his conflicting dreams and goals:

“I don’t want any plastics, and I don’t want any ground floors, and I don’t want to get married, ever, to anyone!” -George marries Mary, gives up his dream of bachelorhood and the free life.
“But George, they’ll vote with Potter otherwise!” -George gives up his dream of higher education…forever to save the BB&L.
“It’s purely mercenary, I’ll tell you. Father offered Harry a job.” George sees his last hope to get out of B.F. slipping away when Harry gets married, but he tells Harry to take the job.
“Hey! I got 2,000 dollars. How much do you need?” Gives up his honeymoon to save peoples’ investment in the BB&L.
“I don’t need 24 hours” turns down Potter’s rich-lifestyle offer on moral grounds.

I am sure there are a lot more than I can think of right now.

By: George

George — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:02:31 +0000

First, I can never see another movie ever replacing It’s a Wonderful Life as my favorite. I hate to say it, but I think it truly changed my life and possibly saved it given my own state when I stumbled upon the movie.

I couldn’t help but notice the prior comments about poverty and poverty in the America. I think you may want to watch the movie again. While they had a roof over their head, the luxury of a piano, and he worked at a bank, it certainly doesn’t indicate he was middle-class either. He drove an old car with mechanical issues, lived in a formerly abandoned home, couldn’t afford any “decent clothes” for his kids to wear to school, and the bank (which didn’t get bail-outs in those days) was broke. So, yes, he was worried about where his next paycheck and his family’s next meal would come from. That, my friend, generally is poverty “in America” for those who do not have a heroin addiction. And you can thank God for it.