Everyone has their favorite holiday movies, and on virtually all lists is “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the 1946 Christmas classic directed by Frank Capra. But when the film was released, it did not do well at the box office. But in the 1970s, it entered the public domain, and there was virtually no stopping it. People embraced the movie, the public loved it, and its place as a cherished part of the holiday season was confirmed.
In the film, Jimmy Stewart stars as George Bailey, an honest, hardworking man who has endured many disappointments in his career and personal life and has given up his own dreams to help his family and friends in his hometown of Bedford Falls. In current “executive office lingo,” George Bailey would likely be termed a “loser,” in the same category as John McCain, Jimmy Fallon, several of our former Presidents, and many of our current Representatives.
Lionel Barrymore plays Mr. Potter, a greedy banker who charges exorbitant interest rates and forces his customers into substandard housing. Aspiring to “own” the town, he cares nothing for Bedford Falls’s citizens, but is interested only in advancing his own wealth and power. Sound familiar?
An angel is sent from heaven to show George Bailey what life would look like had he never been born, divulging that without him there to intervene when his brother dies, resulting in everyone on a transport ship later dying; his wife is a lonely spinster, and the town is in shambles. Instead of Bedford Falls, his beloved hometown is called Pottersville, named for his nemesis, Mr. Potter, who has reduced its inhabitants to poverty and despair.
Running parallel with reality, the recently christened “Trump-Kennedy Center,” or more properly, “The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,” is only one of many alarming changes within the last year.
In addition, a newly minted sign is already on the building honoring “Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace,” according to Marco Rubio, “the president of peace.” Legislation is proposed to change the name of Washington Dulles to the Donald J. Trump International Airport, and the Washington Metro-Rail to “The Trump Train.”
To gain entry to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas in 2026, we will purchase America’s National Park Pass with Donald Trump’s portrait on it.
A “Trump Gold Card,” price tag: one million dollars, enables potential immigrants to fast-track residency and citizenship requirements into the U. S., and the “Trump Platinum Card,” at five million, moves things along even faster.
A proposal in the Currency Golden Age Act puts Trump's image on the $100 bill, issues a $250 bill with his image, and issues a commemorative coin honoring him.
The list goes on and on. There is even a bill in committee to add Trump to Mount Rushmore National Memorial. So, he’ll join Washington, the Father of our Country; Jefferson, the primary author of our Constitution; Lincoln, the great president who held our nation together through the Civil War; and Roosevelt, who led the U.S. to becoming a world power? Trump’s new cryptocurrency, which enlarges his personal net worth by over 40%, no doubt qualifies him for such an honorary commemoration amongst the greats.
Lawsuits and legislative approval challenge many of these proposals, and all may not come to fruition or may even have to be redacted. But the message emitting from the White House is crystal clear. Compared with our President’s excess use of power and privilege to glorify himself, Mr. Potter’s “Pottersville” looks downright modest. Washington, D.C. renamed Trump Town? Doesn’t seem that far-fetched.
So, other than calling in fleets of angels, what to do? How can we curb such clutching self-adulation? With success defined by impressive financial statements, how can we battle the prevailing attitude that only the wealthy are worthy?
Take heart. Remember, “It’s a Wonderful Life” was commercially unsuccessful when first released and is now considered one of the greatest films ever made. The Library of Congress chose it as one of 25 films to be preserved in the National Film Registry, and it has been selected as one of the top 100 films of all time by the American Film Institute, and ranks number one in inspirational American films.
Exuding the traditional values of kindness and civility, and most importantly, offering hope, by any measure, “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a wonderful movie.
Time judges presidents as well as movies.
Our present times cannot tell the whole story. Just as “It’s a Wonderful Life” was not recognized as the treasured classic it is, so, too, will time tell how we evaluate the age we live in now. When this Presidency and this era are reckoned with history’s perspective, there will be much to justify.
What now appears to be is not what always will be.
In this season of hope, let us hope so.
Amy Lockard is an Iowa resident who regularly contributes to regional newspapers and periodicals. She is working on the second of a four-book fictional series based on Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice."
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