"So why, Gary Graham, are you so hell-bent on disparaging this fine work?"

Because it attacks, denigrates, demonizes and attempts to dissemble one of the main ingredients to the American experiment - Capitalism.

Every time a bell rings a worker owns the means of production.

For faux free-marketeers and crony capitalists, I can see how A Wonderful Life is an attack on their ideal. Potter is Goldman-Sachs, manipulating the market and raping everyone else to his benefit and Bailey is a credit union that actually gives a shiat about his investors.

thomps: i think it's important to assign contemporary global political implications to the actions of individual characters in movies made over half a century ago.

Revisionist history...it's the coolest!!!1!

Every time I hear that annoying little kid lisp out the bell ring, angel wing blah blah line, I want to punch a nun. That overly-regurgitated line ruins that whole movie for me.

/Not a grinch, I swear.
//I think I just hate kids.

thomps: i think it's important to assign contemporary global political implications to the actions of individual characters in movies made over half a century ago.

Tell that to the guy in the politics page using the crusades as justification of todays islamic rage.

Communism was just a red herring.

Douchebag writer for douchebag website writes article that even he notes is calculated to garner nothing more than attention for the douchebag writer and douchebag website.

Nothing to see here. Move along.

Choosing your family over money and self-interest? Bringing a community together through selfless acts of kindness? It's a Wonderful Life is one of the most conservative films of all time!

Wow, let's hope he never sees Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. (Which I've always preferred over Wonderful Life)

We had to watch that movie every year when I was a kid.

It's sweet and sentimental which is fine sometimes but I didn't like it then, still don't like it.

thomps: i think it's important to assign contemporary global political implications to the actions of individual characters in movies made over half a century ago.

Oh, snap.

thomps: i think it's important to assign contemporary global political implications to the actions of individual characters in movies made over half a century ago.

You are crazy if you don't see the obvious communist message in Shirley Temple's Heidi.

""This town's no place for any man unless he's willing to crawl to Potter." What a loser attitude! I mean, come on... What if instead of a building and loan, Mr. Bailey owned an NFL team. And on that given Sunday you're playing the reigning Superbowl champs. What do you tell the team pregame in the locker room - "Dudes...we don't stand a chance. Let's just slip out back and get on the plane.""

That metaphor only holds up if George is the investors, or at least an employee, At that point George isn't involved in the B&L and doesn't intend to be. It's a private conversation between father and son, where they were sharing their intimate emotions. It's not like he printed it up on letterhead and sent it out to all his depositors.

Zuzu Petals....
I know.. It's sick..

Watch Frank Capra's contributions to the "Why We Fight Series," Mr. Graham. You're not even close to being the American he was.

Harumph, I say!

Quite a fine troll. I'm pretty sure George Bailey believes in capitalism just as much as Potter does. If anything he just hates pricks.

But the movie is definitely against Republican ideals. If Clarance wasn't a homo I'll run naked through the snow. The way he fought against the cop is one example. A real man would throw a punch, but who bites? He ordered mulled wine instead of beer or hard liquor at Nick's (formerly Martini's). Mulled wine was the appletini of the 50s. All signs point to gay. It's a Wonderful Life was just homosexual propaganda.

You know, 20 years ago someone would have complained that Mr. Potter reinforces the gender based socioeconomic inequalities of the American workplace, and someone on the right would have said "look, this douchebag can't even enjoy It's A Wonderful Life."

That's what this is, the righty equivalent of a douchebag who can't even enjoy It's A Wonderful Life because they're too worried about the political implications.

edip1976: Zuzu Petals....
I know.. It's sick..

Here's to you......

You know what is even worse? This film was obviously written and directed entirely to drive Obama's filthy, socialist "community organizer" objectives. What red blooded, neo-conservative, real American town would stop running on a savings and loan simply because they realized it is for the good of the many in the long run to only take what they need? Real Americans would have finished the run on the bank, sued Bailey, sued each other and then eventually sit back and watch a good man and his family die destitute! Preach on my Conservative brother!

\Not a troll, just sarcasm

Anyone that can't see the obvious anti-Capitalist message in "Jurassic Park" needs to get their eyes checked.

Can someone post the list of things that conservatives are against?

Bah, next thing you know they'll be saying the Bible is too liberal and making 'convervative' improvements.

thomps: i think it's important to assign contemporary global political implications to the actions of individual characters in movies made over half a century ago.

While I agree that any contemporary political comparisons are nonsensical, you can't ignore Capra's communitarian leanings (c.f., You Can't Take It With You). Politics definitely has a role in his films, though the characters are so awesome, you tend not to think about the political implications.

$0.02USD,
-l

Lutrasimilis: Bah, next thing you know they'll be saying the Bible is too liberal and making 'convervative' improvements.

It has already begun (new window)

luyseyal: Politics definitely has a role in his films, though the characters are so awesome, you tend not to think about the political implications.

Yeah, imagine the poilitical implications if people actually gave a shiat about other people, like they do in Capra's movies.

Scary.

Donna Reed was hot in that...I'd make violent love to her too.

I'm gonna go with this is an example of Poe's Law, and it's just satire.

Hallospac3boy: Can someone post the list of things that conservatives are against?

Everything in the entire goddamn world.

/it's the condensed version

oh no...a BAILOUT!!!

Don't let my dad hear about this. I like this movie and would like to continue watching it at future holiday gatherings.

A much quicker way to get Bailey's life back on track (new window) (NSFW)

W
T
F

I'm not a fan of the movie, but COME ON.

And yes, I realize I'm about to infuriate both the Left and the Right... Christians and Atheists... Socialists and the ACLU... Jimmy Stewart fans, movie buffs, my entire readership, and my mother...but I have to say it:

Oooooooh! Now I get it... He's trolling, and we all took the bait. Way to drum up clicks, dude. Mission Accomplished.

make me some tea: I say we start staging Tea Party DVD-burning events on the steps of the Library of Congress.

What say you, Fark?




APPROVES

Killer Refresh Rate: Choosing your family over money and self-interest? Bringing a community together through selfless acts of kindness? It's a Wonderful Life is one of the most conservative films of all time!

It's purely harmless, social conservatism though. The dangerous kind of social conservatism and Randian economic conservatism are absent. Which makes it COMMUNIST!