Leading up to this year’s Winter Break, the members of the Falcon Press Staff will be sharing their favorite holiday films each of the 12 days leading up to the last day of school on Friday, Dec. 20. We hope you enjoy this feature, our thoughts on the movies listed, and the memories we associate with them!
Avery Horan and Naman Patel – “It’s a Wonderful Life”
Avery: For me, “It’s a Wonderful Life” not only perfectly encapsulates the feeling of joy and love at Christmas time, but it is a beautiful depiction of the ups and downs of life. I really enjoy movies that have many different meanings, intended by the creators or not, and I believe this movie is one of them. Themes like reasons to stay during a mental health crisis and the value of family are meanings that are at the forefront of this movie. Most other meanings are special to the viewer and become connected to their own life. This movie was surprisingly the first movie I had ever watched in black and white, which I found made me focus more on the storyline and small details. Overall, this movie has all the feelings of Christmas while also telling a beautiful story about life.
Naman: “It’s A Wonderful Life” is a Christmas classic and is commonly considered one of the greatest Christmas movies ever. The film covers George Bailey, a loan banker, who contemplates suicide until his guardian angel saves him by showing him a world without his positive contributions and influence. Over the course of the movie, we’re shown Bailey’s life and how his absence from it entirely changes everything about the town he lives in and all the people he knows. Bailey, after seeing the world without him, begs to go back and the Guardian Angel grants his wish. Bailey returns home for Christmas more grateful than ever. I think it’s a favorite of mine because it shows the impacts of positive people and how they can be appreciated. It’s an inherently feelgood story and it just feels so warm and charming as a result.
