James Stewart as George Bailey, standing in the middle of Bedford Falls. Photo by Gaston Longet.

Wendell Jamieson has a great piece on ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ in today’s New York Times. He even consults with a New York district attorney who concludes that George Bailey’s crime would be classed as “…a D felony; 2 ½ to 7 years is the maximum term for that.”

This is a great film on many levels. And depending on your particular mood in a given year, the annual viewing will reward you with things you may have missed in the past. Of course, this year everyone’s being encouraged to draw comparisons with our current financial meltdown.

But watch it closely.

As Jamieson points out, “It is a story of being trapped, of compromising, of watching others move ahead and away, of becoming so filled with rage that you verbally abuse your children, their teacher and your oppressively perfect wife. It is also a nightmare account of an endless home renovation.”