Reed’s Fourth Favorite Film

4. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

I’ve written and spoken at length about this film before on this website (see an earlier blog and podcast episode), so I won’t retread all of the same ground here. I adore this film primarily because of its overt life-affirming message. I’ve heard recently that the film supports conformism and status-quo compliance, but I respectfully disagree. The heart of the film’s message is that every individual matters and that when people believe that they don’t matter, they need only see beyond the lens of their own perceptions to recognize their value. Certainly some people lead lives of unbearable hardship, but the film isn’t trying to say that everyone should just shut up and be grateful. It’s saying that there are truths beyond the realm of our own experiences concerning our value in this world, and the verdicts we so freely declare over ourselves and others are often flawed simply because we don’t have all the information. I think of this film often when I begin to feel that I’m a victim and that life simply hasn’t been fair to me. It’s a wonderful reminder to know that perhaps the disappointments I’ve known can’t compare to the blessings I’ve been given.