What!?! “Do my eyes deceive me?” you ask. What’s this doing on a list of supposed oddball Christmas films? Isn’t It’s a Wonderful Life the ultimate merry Christmas film? Yes, in the last 5 minutes it is. And it’s the most popular and greatest Christmas film every made. Period. Not open to debate. Yet! It shocks me how everyone focuses on Frank Capra’s sentimentality and ignores the fact that this film is one of the darkest Christmas films out there. It’s essentially about a poor schmoe whose grand dreams never come true, and eventually life grinds him so raw he’s a moment away from killing himself – and that all happens before the story descends into hell. Plus, what kind of deranged maniac scores a man’s utter mental meltdown to “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”? Frank Capra, that’s who – and when it come to the disturbing, he makes David Lynch look like pussy.
Christmas Message: No man is a failure who has friends.
