Screenplay Two: It's A Wonderful Life

It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Frank Capra, Jo Swerling
"What is it you want, Mary...? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down... you could swallow it and it'd all dissolve, see? And the moonbeams'd shoot out of your fingers and your toes, and the ends of your hair."



When I saw this movie as a child with my parents, I'm sure I thought it was alright, but boy, have times changed. I read this screenplay and pretty much fell in love with it. I empathize with George at so many different points in the story and I truly think the ultimate message is worth keeping in mind.






George spends his entire life wishing he were somewhere else. Anywhere else.

GEORGE: I'm shaking the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I'm going to see the world.

The way he talks, you'd think that he doesn't want anything to do with Bedford Falls. 

Except he does.

The things in the town that really matter to George are his relationships with its inhabitants. No, Bedford Falls doesn't have the mystery or the glamour of Italy or Greece, but it has people--people that George truly cares about. I think George's primary struggle throughout the entire screenplay is not seeing what Bedford Falls does have to offer him.

To clarify (hopefully): I don't think George is embarrassed by his hometown and wants to get away. I think he doesn't realize the value of what's right under his nose. 

There are two obvious examples of this in the film: the way George treats Mary for most of their youth (until he marries her), and also George's condescending attitude towards his father's Building & Loan company.

GEORGE: Oh, I'm sorry, Pop. I didn't mean that remark, but this business of nickels and dimes and spending all your life trying to figure out how to save three cents on a length of pipe... I'd go crazy. I want to do something big and something important. 

POP(quietly): You know, George, I feel that in a small way we are doing something important.  Satisfying a fundamental urge. It's deep in the race for a man to want his own roof and walls and fireplace, and we're helping him get those things in our shabby little office.

Because his father doesn't have the same view that he does on what's important, George thinks his father is dreaming small and is stuck in Bedford Falls. George sees that, and thinks, I don't want that for myself. 

I think the message of this film is sad but realistic. Yes, dreams are great. Yes, I hope that we all strive to accomplish them. But sometimes dreams are over-emphasized to the point where the dreamer ignores what they already have right in front of them. There are two quotes that come to mind from other films that lead to the armature of It's A Wonderful Life:

DUMBLEDORE: It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, Harry. Remember that. (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, 2001) (I might have slightly misquoted that, but that was done from memory, so give me a break)

DOROTHY: There's no place like home... (The Wizard of Oz, 1939)

(I guess I should probably come up with my own armature for It's A Wonderful Life, huh...) 

OK, here goes: It's difficult to see the value of what you have until you experience life without it.

I'm going to attempt The Seven Steps because I need practice with them, but it doesn't fit quite as well to this script as it did to Casablanca...

The Seven Steps:

1) Once upon a time, a selfless young man named George lives in the small American town of Bedford Falls during the interwar period with his friends and family.

2) And every day, George commits himself to helping his friends, his family, and the other townsfolk even when it means sacrificing his own dreams. He works for Building & Loan, a company that keeps the working class folk afloat in trying financial times.

3) Until one day, George's uncle loses $8,000 of the company money and George is required to beg for help from Potter, the rich old man who has cheated his way to owning most of the town.

4) And because of this, George feels like a complete failure, gets very drunk, and almost commits suicide.

5) And because of this, George's guardian angel Clarence is sent down to show George the value of his life through showing him the world as if George had never existed.

6) Until finally, George realizes the countless lives that he altered simply through the life he lived despite his overall financial struggles.

7) And ever since that day, George realizes the good that he does for the folk in Bedford Falls and is proud of his work.


I don't think I did too shabbily, considering the screenplay's heavy reliance on flashbacks as a plot device...




And now for my general review.

This was an absolute joy to read. For one thing, the script is meticulously written, leading to a story that is set up incredibly well. Every block of the script is important and is related to the film's ultimate message. George's character is fleshed out and human, something that I feel many movies tend to forget to do; I often found myself sympathizing with George because his dilemmas are similar to real dilemmas.

I'll just start a completely unorganized list of things that stood out to me for various reasons:



The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The first question I had was, Why is Clarence reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer? The writers picked that book for a reason--what was it?

I've never read the book, but I have read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and I know a little bit about Tom Sawyer as a character. Primarily that Tom Sawyer and George have a lot in common. Tom likes to dream big. There is a scene in Huck Finn where Huck and Tom need to help their friend Jim escape captivity. Tom creates elaborate, thought-out plans that would take hours of preparation and have a slim chance of success, especially when carried out by two young boys. Tom is a dreamer. And that's what George is, too.

First, he ignores a seemingly mundane girl named Mary Hatch for years, because she reminds him of Bedford Falls and its own boring/"normal" character. He wants to get out of Bedford Falls and explore Italy, Greece, see the Parthenon, blah blah blah. And after he's done exploring the world, he wants to create (something no one in Bedford Falls really does):

GEORGE: Oh, well, you know what I've always talked about – build things... design new buildings – plan modern cities – all that stuff I was talking about.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with being a dreamer. It's great. But, like I said before, it's when you let your dreams get in the way of your life--by ignoring what you have, like a caring family or a loving wife or devoted children or steadfast friends or a job that helps real people in their everyday existence--that dreams can become detrimental. 

George wants to be a builder, a creator. Although he doesn't realize it, that's what he does at the company so appropriately named Building & Loan. And that's what he eventually does when he starts his own housing settlement, Bailey Park. He's not building grandiose things to be admired worldwide, but he combines his two passions: creation and compassion. By the end of the script, George is a grown-up version of Tom Sawyer.




Joseph and Clarence
I like what the writers did with the angels for three key reasons: they act as surrogate spectators for the audience, they are a fantastic plot device that is useful for the audience in navigating a story told primarily in flashback, and they create a sense of awareness/self-reflexivity throughout the script. 

The audiences of 1946 didn't have countless narratives that were told in a non-linear way like we do today. The introduction to It's A Wonderful Life comes through the angels' response to prayers being said regarding George Bailey, a man whose "crucial night", we are told by Franklin, is tonight. We then jump back in time with Clarence, George's guardian angel, as he witnesses key events in George's life that have led him to this "crucial night". The audience didn't come in on ground zero like most traditional Hollywood films... they came in at the climax. 

But the writers knew that the story wouldn't have the same emotional resonance (or any) if they just put George on a bridge about to jump, without knowing what led him there. So, the audience has Clarence, who knows as much about George as they do. Through Joseph's explanation of George's situation to Clarence (phew), the audience sees George save his brother, prevent Gower from becoming a murderer, take on Pa Bailey's job at the Building & Loan, start a family with Mary, and ultimately have all of it placed at risk by the misplacement of $8,000 which then leads George to believe he is a failure who can finally stop his life-long struggle by killing himself. Here are some of the exposition-y quotes from the angels to support my argument:

FRANKLIN'S VOICE: No, worse. He's discouraged. At exactly 10:45 PM tonight, Earth time, that man will be thinking seriously of throwing away God's greatest gift. 

JOSEPH'S VOICE: That's him when he was twelve, back in 1919. Something happens here you'll have to remember later on. 

JOSEPH'S VOICE: George saved his brother's life that day. But he caught a bad cold which infected his left ear. Cost him his hearing in that ear. It was weeks before he could return to his after-school job at old man Gower's drugstore. 

JOSEPH'S VOICE: That's right. Not only that, but he gave his school money to his brother Harry, and sent him to college. Harry became a football star--made second team All American... George got four years older, waiting for Harry to come back and take over the Building & Loan. 

And of course, the entire montage sequence describing George's marriage as well as the impact of World War II on Bedford Falls citizens.

The angels fill the audience in on off-screen action and they explain why each of the flashbacks are important. If that's not a phenomenal way to cover years of story within seconds of screen-time, I don't know what is.



And now we are at my third point regarding the angels, which I've been avoiding because Google thinks that "reflexivity" isn't a word and I am unsettled by this since it is a concept I learned in my film course... but I will do my best to explain the idea as I learned it.

It's A Wonderful Life is a self-aware screenplay. 

EXAMPLE: George and Mary are walking home after getting drenched in the high school swimming pool. There is a man on the porch who breaks the traditional Hollywood romantic tension between the two young people by saying, when George asks if he's talking too much, "Yes!! Why don't you kiss her instead of talking her to death?"

This is self-awareness in the film world. The writers know that the audience has seen this game of romantic cat-and-mouse before. The moonlit flirting, the doe-eyed and vulnerable beauty, the earnest but endearingly awkward young man... even 1946 audiences have seen this done to death. So what do the writers do to avoid cliché? 

They thrown in an old man who, like the audience, is watching the couple's conversation. Unlike the audience, this old man can interact with the couple--and does, since that's what the audience is dying to do. It would be like in a horror movie, if there were a character who told the busty blonde not to go into the creepy cellar. (Watch Cabin in the Woods. Just do it. Right now.) 

The angels act as a continuous example of self-awareness throughout the story. Think about how meta/Inception-y this is: we are listening to angels talk about the movie we are watching right now. 
They are watching George's life; we are watching them watch George's life. That's self-reflexivity, in my book. And that's neat. It's done neatly, and cleverly, all throughout the script.




The Little Things
There are lots of mini-points I'd like to bring up. This is proof of why this screenplay is so neat and tight; little statements that seem like throw-aways are actually deeply important to the story if you take the time to unpack them.

POP: Oh, he's a sick man. Frustrated and sick. Sick in his mind, sick in his soul, if he has one. Hates everybody that has anything that he can't have. Hates us mostly, I guess.

--> When you're making a Christmas-y movie like this, it can't be a bad idea to bring to mind A Christmas Story Carol [[thanks for catching that, Dad]]. Which is what I think the writers were trying to do here. Dickens' story is dripping with the protagonist's self-realization, and this story is no different in that respect.

CLOSEUP – MARY HATCH. [She is standing talking to one of the boys, Freddie...] 

FREDDIE'S VOICE: And the next thing I know, some guy came up and tripped me. That's the reason why I came in fourth. If it hadn't been for that... 

CLOSE SHOT [George, staring at Mary] 

FREDDIE'S VOICE: ...that race would have been a cinch. I tried to find out who it was later...

--> And then George comes up and "trips him". By stealin' his gurl. Such great writing--even a minor character's ignored dialogue is valuable.

HARRY: Well, if it isn't old George Geographic Explorer Bailey! What? No husky dogs? No sled? (to Uncle Billy) Uncle Billy, you haven't changed a bit. 

UNCLE BILLY: Nobody ever changes around here. You know that. 

--> And that right there is what George is afraid of--that Bedford Falls will forever prevent him from developing/growing. This quote is delivered at a time where this issue is already apparent to the audience, soon after George's father's death and George's take-over of Building & Loan. 

The WWII Montage

--> I think this is not only explaining the effects of the war on Bedford Falls and on George himself, but is also meant to help the audience cope with the experience of the war. The film came out in 1946; it's no coincidence that so many specific American war-time situations are described. These might mean less to a "modern" audience, but I bet it meant a lot to an audience who had just lived through it.

Zuzu's flower petals

--> This is a phenomenal analogy for George's entire life. He is repeatedly given things that need to be fixed/saved--his brother, his father's business several times over, etc. Zuzu, in all her innocence, truly believes that her father can fix something beyond aid. She has faith in him. It is this same faith in himself that George lacks. He does is best to fix the flower, by rearranging it and hiding the loose petals. 

Keep in mind, this is after he has lost $8,000. This is George's true identity shining through in times of crisis. Zuzu doesn't know any better and he loves that about her, so much so that even though he has serious problems at hand, he goes out of his way to make her feel happy and secure.

VIOLET: I'm glad I know you, George Bailey.

--> I felt as though towards the end of the screenplay, Violet acted as a mirror for George. She comes to him asking for money to go to New York, and he gives it to her--partially because he is a relatively selfless person and partially because he wants nothing more than to leave Bedford Falls, so if he can't do it, someone should be able to. When she says the above, she is thanking him for his selflessness. I view it almost as a divine reminder that George is worthwhile, but it sadly comes too late. After George returns from the alternate reality, Violet has also come back, saying, "I'm not going to go, George. I've changed my mind." (Not unlike George himself, who no longer wants to commit suicide).

Wind in alternate reality vs. Snow in real reality 

--> The alternate reality is a harsh place where George is tossed around violently between disheartening images of the people he loves. The constant wind mentioned repeatedly in the script serves to emphasize the difference in the realities; George is not comfortable here. Snow, on the other hand, acts as a weighty mute when George feels oppressed by his struggles, but it also acts as a baptismal cleanser after he visits the alternate reality. The world is new and clean and soft and white, and now he is excited to be a part of it.

George after losing $8,000

--> Let's examine what happens to George after he starts circling the emotional and mental drain...

• gets completely hammered at Martini's bar
• gets punched in the face by Mr. Welch
• smashes his car head-on into a tree
• almost gets hit by a truck

Really taking to heart this image of George just getting beat by Life itself. Over and over and over. These little visual metaphors aren't necessarily noticeable to first-time viewers, or people who aren't writing hideously long blog posts, but they're tiny details that lead to an airtight script. 

Final Points 


This story is absolutely beautiful. George is completely selfless and his personal goals (whether he's aware of it or not) are always on the back burner. The point is, is that he's okay with that. 

It's not like the people George helps treat him like shit. They know the sacrifices he's made and they do everything they can to thank him for it. This distinction is what refuses George the possibility of claiming martyr status by committing suicide. It's not that he's whiny/bitchy about not feeling "appreciated" by those he helps. It's that he fears he is ultimately worthless, despite what he's done for Bedford Falls.

Which brings me to the most chilling idea in the script:

POTTER (sarcastically): Look at you. You used to be so cocky! You were going to go out and conquer the world! You once called me a warped, frustrated old man. What are you but a warped, frustrated young man? A miserable little clerk crawling in here on your hands and knees and begging for help. No securities – no stocks – no bonds – nothing but a miserable little five hundred dollar equity in a life insurance policy. You're worth more dead than alive...

I think we all have a fear of being worthless, of being so completely without value that it would be better if we weren't alive at all. This film takes that fear and shines a spotlight on it. George is worried that what he does, what he is, isn't enough, and that it would be better if he were dead, which brings me back to the armature: it's difficult to see the value of what you have, until you experience life without it. George doesn't see how valuable he is until he sees the world without him in it. 

Which, strangely enough, brings me to another point:

CLARENCE: You've been given a great gift, George. A chance to see what the world would be like without you.

I know there have been times in my life where I just want a glimpse of what the world is like, sans Angela. I love that Clarence calls it a gift, because it is. George is shown incontrovertible proof of his worth by seeing how exactly it has influenced the world around him. 

I think the most far-reaching influence is when he realizes that the heroic acts of his brother Harry could never have been performed if George hadn't saved Harry's life when they were children, leading Clarence to say this (and title-drop):

CLARENCE (sadly): Every man on that transport died. Harry wasn't there to save them because you weren't there to save Harry. You see, George, you really had a wonderful life.  Don't you see what a mistake it would be to throw it away?

The value of George's life (and all of our lives) goes beyond the reach of our own experience (hey, that's not a bad armature, either). 

I don't know, man. I think this is a pretty damn impressive screenplay. 

CLARENCE: Strange, isn't it?  Each man's life touches so many other lives, and when he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?

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EDIT: A blog I follow just posted about blocking and scene set-up in It's A Wonderful Life, specifically the scene where George visits Mary's house after his brother has returned (with his fiancé) to Bedford Falls. It's pretty interesting and I'm looking forward to learning more about the mise-en-scene/cinematography side of film through this blog.