by Emily St James and Lauren Theisen
Like many families, our holiday traditions include annual viewings of the 1966 animated “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, A CHRISTMAS STORY (1983), and, of course, the main event, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946). The latter, Frank Capra’s classic, is now 80 years old, and the timing is perfect for a deep dive into why this film has made such an impact on so many viewers over the years. Co-authors Emily St James and Lauren Theisen clearly share a love for the film and fully engage when writing about the individual pieces that make up the whole: the studio, the filmmakers, the cast, and a couple of odd (perhaps lucky) breaks along the way.
When classics collide, the result can be fascinating. The ties to the 1938 short story, “The Greatest Gift” by writer Philip Van Doren Stern is pretty direct, and we can’t help but notice some connection or familiarity to Charles Dickens’ classic 1843 novella “A Christmas Story”, which has spawned many movie versions. And then there is the tale of director Frank Capra’s trip to Seneca Falls, NY, a town that even today, stakes a claim and its identity to being the inspiration for Bedford Falls (understandably, no town attaches its tourism hopes to Pottersville). The book explores all of this, giving Mr. Capra a well-earned extended segment on his life, career, and feelings about the film.
“No man is a failure who has friends.” Perhaps no quote better exemplifies the crux of the film’s message than that one. It certainly applies to George Bailey, played so beautifully by lead actor James Stewart, and couldn’t be further from describing his nemesis Mr. Potter, played with a snarling Ebenezer Scrooge-like persona by Lionel Barrymore. It’s here where the co-authors excel – detailing cultural aspects at the time the film was made, and how that time capsule has so been so readily adopted by contemporary viewing audiences. Well, of course, that’s only after the bookkeeping fluke that lost the copyright and opened the film up to the masses.
Chapters in the book are devoted not just to the main characters of George, Mary, and Potter, but also to Clarence Odbody, Angel 2nd Class; forgetful Uncle Billy; heroic Harry Bailey; Bert the cop; Ernie the cab driver; Nick, Martini, and Annie (lumped in to one chapter); other Bedford Falls ‘weirdos’; and Violet (a terrific Gloria Grahame), a character we wish we knew a bit more about. There are also chapters on Bedford Falls, Seneca Falls, and the copyright mess. Because of these separate segments, and the fact that each chapter is credited to one of the authors, we are asked to think of the book as “a series of essays”, rather than a traditional ‘making of’ book.
Most fans of the film know this was James Stewart’s first film after returning as a war hero from WWII. Another well-known fact is that the film wasn’t a box office smash the year it was released, and despite its five Oscar nominations, there were no wins on a night dominated by THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES. The authors also address why the story is sometimes labeled as promoting socialism, and yet, even with married screenwriters Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett being close to known communists, neither the film nor the filmmakers were part of the extended Hollywood blacklist of the era.
Contributing to the film’s brilliance is how most who watch describe it as upbeat, joyous, and/or inspirational. This, despite the lead character contemplating suicide and the entire ‘Pottersville’ sequence which can simply be described as bleak and horrific. The authors cover how the film generates a favorable vision of community and country, and how heroism and morality overcome darkness … explaining the film’s place in cinematic history. The book’s Introduction opens with, “Certain movies take on lives of their own.” This movie in particular seems to make the lives of all who watch just a bit more ‘wonderful’, and this book helps us all understand why.
The book is available on Amazon beginning September 29, 2026
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. Director David Ayer (the excellent END OF WATCH, 2012) is no fool. He wisely begins the movie by putting the audience at ease. Yes, the dog survives. We learn this in the opening scene he blocks the road of a pickup driver (Anna Lambe, “True Detective”). We immediately shift to flashback mode, unsure whether the dog’s owner is still alive. The first feature film screenplay from Cameron Alexander benefits immensely from a couple of key factors: stunning scenery and a touching bond between man (Oscar winner Brad Pitt) and dog (Odin, a properly renamed Uber).
Greetings again from the darkness. Director Lance Oppenheim (SOME KIND OF HEAVEN, 2020) and co-writers Luke Dittrich and Ajon Singh toss nearly two hours of psychology at us, leaving us to fend for ourselves on how best to define evil and acceptable boundaries of ethics and decency. It’s a bit of a mind twister that some may define as horror, while others cast it as satire. Regardless of your take, I found this to be a mesmerizing look at the things that make some people tick.
Greetings again from the darkness. One of the most frightening things in existence is when mental illness blends with brilliance. Ted Kaczynski was a 16-year-old math prodigy at Harvard in 1958, and then arrested in 1996 after being identified as the Unabomber. His reign of terror covered 1978 through 1995, and his bombings were responsible for three murders and twenty-three injuries. The manhunt was the longest and most expensive in FBI history.
Greetings again from the darkness. Shaun the Sheep is a British creation dating back thirty years or so. It’s through Aardman, the same imaginative studio as the brilliant ‘Wallace and Grommet’ characters and stories. Through multiple series and feature movies, we’ve come to know and love the claymation Shaun and his misadventures. This latest from co-directors Steve Cox and Matthew Walker, and co-writers Mark Burton and Giles Pilbrow, is yet another entry that will entertain adults and kids of all ages.
Greetings again from the darkness. This year’s batch of Hallmark Christmas movies hasn’t hit yet, so for those fans, here’s the next best thing … a Romantic Comedy based on the New York Times bestseller written by Ali Hazelwood. Directed by prolific TV director Claire Scanlon, with an adapted screenplay by Sarah Rothschild, the film delivers easy comedy with a burst of ‘Girl Power’.
There are fans of baseball and then there is Peter Gammons. He’s on another level with his passion for the game, appreciation of its history, and respect for its players. While there are quite a few talented baseball writers, Mr. Gammons expertly utilizes his love of the game to describe what he’s seen and what it means to him. In this book, baseball history is the foundation, but it’s Gammons’ knowledge, experience, and adoration that feed his perspective and the words that fill the pages.
Greetings again from the darkness. My decision to review this movie was based on one thing: it’s the feature film directorial and screenwriting debut of Agata Trzebuchowska, who starred in Pawel Pawlikowski’s excellent IDA (2013). That was the extent of my research for this film from Poland, and now after watching it, I am at a loss on how to review without spoiling anything about it. Simply stating that the twists will surely surprise you is not enough – and it helps if you are unaware, as I was, of the film’s genre prior to watching.
Greetings again from the darkness. Padraic McKinley, a film editor by trade, makes his feature film directorial debut with one that feels like a throwback. And that’s not just because it’s based in 1933 Eugene, Oregon during the depression. This is a period thriller that maintains our interest through characters and setting and story. What’s unusual is that there are four writing credits: Matthew Booi, Shelby Gaines, Leo Scherman, and Matthew Chapman … usually not a good sign, but most of it works pretty well here.
Greetings again from the darkness. The risk a filmmaker runs by producing a documentary to make sense of their own family is that it might easily turns into family therapy and/or personal therapy. However, in this case, it appears that’s exactly what Colette Ghunim was trying to do. She never had the close bond with her parents that she desperately wanted, so she set out to find out why those emotional defense mechanisms were in place. As with any therapy, the hope is that things get better, while the possibility exists that things get worse.
