This is the way my mind works. First, I realize that I really don't really watch that many movies. Next, I realize that this first realization bothers me, for some reason. I want to watch movies, even though I ultimately don't end up watching them (unless it's Oscars season). Finally, I come up with some elaborate excuse to fix the problem, an excuse involving alcohol and blogging and forcing my friends to participate in inconsequential activities. Welcome to "Your Favorite Movie."
At least every other Tuesday (maybe more often, depending on how busy life is that month), I am going to publish an interview with a friend or family member about what his/her favorite movie is. I hope to achieve three goals in this endeavor: 1) More dumb blog content for a dumb blog, 2) I have an excuse for more human contact (e.g. having a friend over for dinner and talking about a movie) than I normally would in this baby-filled world, 3) I have a great excuse to watch more movies, since I'll have to actually watch my friend's favorite movie before interviewing him/her about it.
The consummate guinea pig for bullshit like this, Pam K*** was first up to be interviewed about her favorite film. Pam herself needs no introduction—my beautiful wife of almost five years, best friend for almost a decade now, and these days a pretty great baby momma. One of my favorite things we do together is, every once in a while, turn off the TV and the phones and just sit on the couch and listen to some music and just fucking talk. Hang out. No distractions. Get to know each other a little better. It doesn't happen as often when one of us is sober (one of pregnancy's drawbacks), but we made some time for it last Saturday night, and we fit in this movie conversation at one point, in between discussions about life's aspirations and what Madonna songs reached #1 on the Billboard chart. The conversation was recorded with permission, and transcribed with light edits for clarity.
It's possible that Pam's favorite movie needs no introduction either. It's a Wonderful Life was released in 1946, and has become a Christmas classic in recent decades. In it, we follow George Bailey, hero of a small town who consistently, though reluctantly, does what is right instead of what is easy. I had never seen it before I met Pam, but every Christmas since we first met, we've watched the movie in December and laughed and cried. Though it's certainly not my personal favorite of all time, I think in some regards it could be a movie worthy of the title of "the best," and I'm glad I got to talk about it with Pam a little more in depth than we typically do—through tears, in the glow of the Christmas tree.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pam: Probably the end of the movie, where everyone comes together and helps out George, because he's just such a good guy, and he's always helped everyone else.
Joe: Just, like, the realization that that's what's important in life, I guess?
Pam: Yeah.
Joe: Underlined, literally, by Clarence [reading from cheat sheet], "Remember, no man is a failure who has friends." I have a weird theory, I guess, about the ending to that movie, that... could be taken either good or bad.
Pam: Okay,
Joe: Alright, so the theory is that George, after everyone leaves the party, realizes the horrors of his town.
Pam: This is just your theory?
Joe: Yes.
Pam: The horrors of his town?
Joe: Yes. The horrors of the people that he deals with.
Pam: In the scenario where he's never been born, or in real life?
Joe: In real life.
Pam: What horrors, besides Potter?
Joe: So, let's take for instance a character—Nick, the bartender. When George has "existed," and he's at the bar, Nick defends him, Nick seems like a stand-up dude, he tries to make sure that George doesn't drive drunk, he, uh, I dunno, kicks out Mr. Welsh. When George is in the timeline in which he didn't exist, Nick is an asshole.
Pam: Right.
Joe: We're supposing that in that timeline, that Nick is the way he is because George never existed.
Pam: Right, because each man's life touches other people, in whatever way.
Joe: So Nick is an asshole because George never existed?
Pam: Yeah, I guess so.
Joe: So I guess the negative way that I think of it—and that's not how I always think of it—
Pam: Well that's not Nick, I think it's George's relationship with Martini too—he's the one that owns the bar—and it's just like a butterfly effect, pay-it-forward, when you're around people who are positive, you're more likely to be positive.
Joe: No, that's... that's actually a legitimate way of looking at it. I just see people like Bert the cop, [who], like, literally shoots his gun at a stranger.
Pam: But that's because that's the movies, that was made in what, like the 1940s?
Joe: Right, but he's the type of cop that would shoot at a stranger.
Pam: He tries to shoot George?
Joe: George!
Pam: But I don't think that's—I think they were just excited to use a gun in a movie in the 1940s.
Joe: Fair.
Pam: I don't think that's anything that's supposed to be diving into that character. I think you're looking at it way too deeply.
Joe: Fair. But just suppose that—we're forgetting about the Hollywood aspect of it—and George is sitting around the Christmas tree, with a big pile of money, he thinks, "Bert the cop fucking shot at me." Like, who else will he shoot at? Do you think that Bert the cop is a different cop because George exists? Or do you think that Bert acts differently around George, and George is now realizing that?
Pam: No, I don't think—no. See, you always do this. That's why I was hesitant to do this thing with you, because you're picking apart a movie that I've always loved. This isn't a Martin Scorcese movie, there's not a lot of underlying things with each character. This is a movie you should take at face value.
Joe: And ultimately, after thinking about it a lot more, I think that it's consistent with George's personality, in terms of, it doesn't matter if this person is an asshole or not, he's gonna be the person that he is regardless. Even if, at the end of the night, he says that Bert is a terrible cop that would shoot at a stranger, George is still gonna be a nice person to Bert, because that's how George is.
Pam: Well, I think another that they don't really highlight—I mean they highlight it a little bit, but they don't go that deep into it—with some of the characters, Potter is charging a fortune for these homes, so then George is building these affordable houses for people, and his friends, like Martini, [were getting houses] there, and they're seeing the generosity and seeing this is what generosity looks like, there are good people in the world, and that makes them better people. You don't know, Bert might've had one of those houses too.
Joe: True.
Pam: It seems like a lot of people in the town have houses like that, because in the alternate timeline, everyone was in Potter's Field, or whatever the fuck it was called. And then the other thing is, probably the clearest example in the movie is his old boss, Mr. Gower, who, in the alternate timeline, poisoned the kid, because George didn't speak up and do the right thing.
Joe: Like... Harry's dead.
Pam: Yeah, because he didn't get him in the water. He drowned. And Mary...
Joe: [laughter]
Pam: [Clarence impression] "Never married! She's closing at the library!"
Joe: Um... that is a very bad line reading by that actor...
Pam: Which is the saddest thing of all, that it's such a horrible fate to be a single woman who's closing up the library!
Joe: That's a very 1930s thing.
Pam: Yes!
Joe: Do you think the acting holds up in general? Like, do you think it's a well-acted movie or a bad-acted movie?
Pam: I think that Jimmy Stewart—I love his acting, but I feel like if he was an actor now, it would be silly. Like, he's over-the-top.
Joe: It's an of-his-time performance?
Pam: Definitely. There's this accent that old time movie stars used to use called Transatlantic, it's like a sing-songy way that they would talk, like a Judy Garland-type of speaking, I'm trying to think of an example.
Joe: Like [bad Jimmy Stewart impression] "Say, Mary, say."
Pam: Yeah, like that kind of thing, just... I don't know, like [better Ma Bailey impression] "George Bailey!" But people don't talk like that in real life, they never did, it was just a popular thing that they did in movies back then. And so, in terms of that, that was like a sign of good acting. Back then.
Joe: It didn't win any Oscars... right?
Pam: I have no idea. I doubt it.
Joe: No.
Pam: I could look it up.
Joe: It was a bomb in theaters. So I read that the only reason that it's become popular now is that through some publishing error, the movie lost its copyright, so TV can play it whenever they want.
Pam: Oh, so that's why they play it every Christmas Eve?
Joe: Right, they play the black and white version.
Pam: [looking at Wikipedia] Actually... no it's says that it was nominated.
Joe: For best movie?
Pam: For Best Picture. Best Actor in a Leading Role, Jimmy Stewart. Best Director, Frank Capra. Best Sound Recording. Best Film Editing—
Joe: Best Film Editing?!
Pam: Yeah. None of these won. It won the Golden Globe for best director though.
Joe: ...There's some pretty bad editing.
Pam: Oh yeah. Where it cuts away—
Joe: How about the scene where Mary is in the bush, and it keeps cutting to the old dude [who]'s about to say something, like he's just staring silently, until he finally says something, but it's like the fourth time you see the dude.
Pam: Well it's building up suspense. [laughter]
Joe: And what does he say?
Pam: "Why don't you kiss her?!"
Joe: "Kiss her already!"
Pam: And "ohhhh, youth is wasted on the wrong people!"
Joe: Yeah! [laughter] Think he's supposed to say "Youth is wasted on the young?"
Pam: Maybe!
Joe: What was some other bad acting? How about the pool, you always bring up the pool.
Pam: The pool is horrible. It's just like [impression of actor] "Ya know, George Bailey's dancing on top of that floor..."
Joe: [laughter]
Pam: "And ya know... this key... opens up that floor..." And then they both look at each other in agreement, and nod their heads.
Joe: Do you know who the guy is who ultimately turns the key? Did we ever talk about that?
Pam: No, who?
Joe: He was Alfalfa in the original Little Rascals.
Pam: Oh! Okay. That's weird that that's all he ended up doing.
Joe: [laughter] Turning the key?
Pam: Had a very tiny part in It's a Wonderful Life as a teenager?
Joe: Do you feel like—
Pam: Oh, can we go back to bad acting? Another bad-acting scene is when Harry's getting ready to go to the dance, and he's getting all the plates and stuff, and the dad's like "Alright Harry, no drinking," and he's like, "Okay, what about whisky?" and he's like "No son." "Awww." [laughter]
Joe: I'm actually glad you brought that [scene] up, as I was typing that question, I was thinking about that scene, about how I disagree with you.
Pam: You think that's a good one?! Well acted?!
Joe: I think that the characters themselves are being purposefully deadpan, because the dad knows that he's gonna be drinking and acting a fool, and is, like, not actually parenting in that moment, but is making a show of parenting—
Pam: Going through the motions?
Joe: Yes, as a joke. And they're both smirking. That's my theory.
Pam: Maybe!
Joe: That's how I've always read that scene.
Pam: "Not even gin?" "No son." "Awwww."
Joe: [laughter] It's funny!
Pam: It is funny! And, of course, Mary, when she tells George that she's pregnant—"I want my baby to look like you!" [Jimmy Stewart impression] "Baby? Is it a boy or a girl?" ..."Uh huh!"
Joe: [laughter] Yeah.
Pam: So dumb.
Joe: Okay, so that was probably in the script, those lines.
Pam: Yeah.
Joe: How should she have read it? I'm asking... not as if I know.
Pam: I don't think it should be written that way! I mean, did they even have the capability—they probably didn't know [the gender] before they were having a baby. When is that supposed to take place? The '30s? Or the '40s?
Joe: Well, the Great Depression was when they got married, so '27? So George was born in the early aughts I guess? No, the late aughts?
Pam: Yeah...
Joe: Do you think it's a Christmas movie? Like, okay, so I guess you would have to define Christmas movie.
Pam: Well, if you would define "Christmas movie" as, like, Santa Claus, I mean they don't even really talk about Christmas in the movie at all. But I think it is a Christmas movie because the Christmas season should bring out the kindness and generosity in people, and I think this is a really good showcase of that. And it just so happens to happen at Christmastime.
Joe: I agree.
Pam: And I think it is more powerful that it happens at Christmastime, than if it were happening during the summertime or something.
Joe: Yeah. So using that same logic, is Die Hard a Christmas movie?
Pam: I've never seen Die Hard. You can edit that out. [laughter]
Joe: I mean, it certainly doesn't have the same impact that—
Pam: Why do people say that it's a Christmas movie? Because Santa's in it?
Joe: Because it literally takes place at Christmas.
Pam: Well so does Gremlins, is that a Christmas movie?
Joe: Does it really?
Pam: Yeah.
Joe: ...I've never seen Gremlins. Isn't that what Kev's watching [at Burholme Park] tonight?
Pam: That's Goonies.
Joe: Do you feel like It's a Wonderful Life is an anti-capitalism movie?
Pam: Um... why, is that something that people think about that movie? Or just you?
Joe: It's what I think about the movie.
Pam: I could see that.
Joe: Like, Potter represents unfettered capitalism.
Pam: I think in the way that it promotes: you don't have to have money to be happy. And then they show Potter, and he's—what does [George] call him, a "warped, frustrated old man"?
Joe: Oh man, what a descriptor!
Pam: And he's so rich, like he owns the whole town. But he's not happy. So, yeah, I guess so. But then Sam Wainwright—
Joe: True! Hee haw!
Pam: Hee haw! He's okay. I mean, he did wire George money at the end.
Joe: True, I guess that's a good point, in that, it may not be an anti-capitalism movie.
Pam: I don't think that's why they made it.
Joe: No!
Pam: But—
Joe: But how we as a 2019 audience apply our thoughts to the movie. Like, could it be an anti-capitalist movie?
Pam: Maybe. It's just showing you that just having friends and being a good person can give you more fulfillment than having money, and buying things.
Joe: I agree with you. I... wonder if George would feel the same way.
Pam: George or Jimmy Stewart?
Joe: George.
Pam: About what?
Joe: Just, like, the whole movie, he was a frustrated young man.
Pam: Yeah, he was.
Joe: I guess the lesson landed in the end. Via the supernatural.
Pam: Yeah, he would've liked to have money, probably. Didn't end up investing in plastics.
Joe: Well, he had a choice, at the end, Mr. Potter told him, I'll give you this big salary if you sell out, and he didn't choose it.
Pam: Right, he was thinking of his friends and family, who he had helped get affordable houses, and he knew that if Potter took over, then people would be evicted.
Joe: But I always found it interesting that it felt like he hated himself in that moment, like, he made the right decision in our eyes, but he questioned himself so much, like, he wonders if he made the right decision. If he shouldn't just do the easy thing for once in his goddamn life.
Pam: That was definitely a crucial moment for him.
Joe: So the angel was necessary for him. To show him that he's been right all along. As opposed to his self-doubt.
Pam: Yeah, definitely.
Joe: I feel like I would typically ask what your favorite scene is—it's probably what I'll be asking other people—but there's really no question...
Pam: The end.
Joe: That, like, makes the movie. I think I've cried every year since I've started watching it. Did you watch this movie that often, like, did you watch it every year before we met?
Pam: I think so, but not since I was a kid or anything. I think I started watching it maybe in high school or college.
Joe: So you didn't watch it with your parents or anything?
Pam: My parents like the movie. At least, my mom does I think. I'm sure we probably watched it together. It wasn't like "every single year we're going to watch this movie." Like a McD***** Family tradition, nothing like that, no.
Joe: Was there a moment that you realized that it was your favorite movie? Or it's just been part of your life for so long that—
Pam: Probably, maybe in college? I dunno. When I was trying to find out more about myself and figure out what things were important to me.
Joe: Makes sense.
Pam: I will say that, looking at it from a 2019 perspective, it definitely has a lot of flaws. Not only in the editing, and the acting and stuff, there's definitely characters that are not portrayed well. There's... the maid.
Joe: The maid. That's bad.
Pam: "I'm saving this money! For a divorce! If I ever found a husband!" And just the fact that the women in the movie, it's either Mary, who's like the faithful wife, with all the children, or Violet, who's like...
Joe: A strumpet?
Pam: Yeah, a strumpet. It's like you're either a Mary or a Violet. There are characters that are poorly portrayed. Who don't hold up, in that sense.
Joe: But the ending kind of negates a lot of that?
Pam: Yeah. It doesn't have to do with the overall message. It's not a racist movie, it's not an anti-feminist movie, just... a movie that was made in that time. The message is separate.
Joe: It's crazy that it was made so long ago. Like, we're gonna be alive when it's one hundred years old. What was it, the '40s?
Pam: '47.
Joe: So, less than thirty years from now. ...I guess I shouldn't jinx it.
Pam: No, 1946. It was nominated for all those awards in '47.
Joe: Okay.
Pam: I think, not only the last scene when they—to go back to my favorite scene—not even in the house when all the people are coming, just from the point where he's on the bridge, and it's started snowing again—or stops snowing, I forget, but there's a weather change—and Bert comes to find him, and he goes, ya know, "Back up Bert! Or I'll shoot you again!" And then he realizes it, that he's [snapping sound] back in that timeline, and he feels his lip—"You're bleeding!" "Look, I'm bleeding!"—and he pulls Zuzu's petals out—
Joe: Zuzu's petals!
Pam: —and then the whole thing with him running down the street, saying all the—I guess this makes it more of a Christmas movie too, because he does kind of scream down the street, like "Merry Christmas Bedford Falls! Merry Christmas you old Building and Loan!" Just, all that, the entire scene. Gets me every time.
Joe: Me too.
Pam: Yeah.
Joe: At what age do you think Willow is going to appreciate that movie? Do you think she's going to be like nine years old watching the movie with us, and being like, "This is the dumbest movie ever"?
Pam: Yeah, probably. Because number one, it's black and white, the whole movie, kids are not gonna understand that that was how movies were usually made back then, ya know? When we were kids, Nick at Night was I Love Lucy, those were in black and white. Now it's Full House. By the time Willow's a kid it'll be Big Bang Theory probably on Nick at Nite. It's less and less black and white. That, number one. And then I just think it's... it's a pretty long movie.
Joe: True.
Pam: And it's just, you have to be a little more mature to appreciate the end of the movie.
Joe: Appreciate the importance of friends. Which young children don't typically do.
Pam: And life in general, just appreciating that it's a wonderful life—
Joe: The fragility of life.
Pam: —yeah, kids don't think about that because their brains aren't fully formed. They think that they're invincible.
Joe: Well, I look forward to the Christmas that she does appreciate it.
Pam: Maybe when she's in college. Hopefully going to college for free.
No comments:
Post a Comment