On most “favorite Christmas movie” lists, It’s a Wonderful Life takes grand prize. Did you know that It’s a Wonderful Life even made it onto the Vatican’s list of 45 outstanding films during cinema’s first 100 years?
I didn’t grow up watching It’s a Wonderful Life every year on TV, as so many people have. Having seen it once or twice a long time ago, I thought it would be worth re-watching and perhaps mentioning during the Christmas Special on the Salt + Light Radio Hour. If you have listened to previous Christmas episodes of the Salt + Light Radio Hour, you might know that for the show’s host, Deacon Pedro Guevara-Mann, It’s a Wonderful Life is not just a great Christmas movie. For him, it’s the greatest movie of all time. So I sat down to watch it one more time.
Need I admit it? I was wrong. It’s a Wonderful Life is not just an “okay Christmas movie.” After really watching it, my appreciation for this movie was transformed! It moved up from being somewhere on my “pretty good movie” list to on my top 20 list. And it’s worth way more than a mention; I ended up spending our entire segment discussing it with Deacon Pedro.
It’s a Wonderful Life is a great film for family viewing, for spiritual renewal, and for cinema divina.
You can listen to the Five Spiritual Lessons from It’s a Wonderful Life on the Salt + Light Radio Christmas Hour here, or browse below for a rambling version. And, if you are going to watch It’s a Wonderful Life this Christmas, go ahead and download the free movie guide here on our Pauline website, www.BeMediaMindful.org ! Even just browsing the list of themes or questions might enrich the appreciation you or someone in your family might have for this wonderful film.
For the remainder of Sr. Marie Paul's reflections on "It's a Wonderful Life" please click here.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all from the Sisters of the Pauline Center for Media Studies