ODDLY ENOUGH...:

I can recall countless moments in "Jesus movies" that have touched, taught and inspired me. "The Passion of The Christ," for example, dynamically reenacts the physical horrors Christ endured. The movie is not really about what mankind did to Him, but about what He did for us.

But I would submit that It's A Wonderful Life shows Christ's teachings being put into action by a Believer.

I concede that there is no scene showing George hearing the Gospel and responding to it, so I'm making an assumption. That's another magic of the medium: the best movies let us project our sensibilities onto a film's theme. But when you analyze the consistency of George's caring nature that puts others first, is it really difficult to see him as a man of faith?

Some may not consider my film choice worthy of the title "Best Film" due to my least favorite element in the story -- the goofy angel. Clarence is good for a couple of laughs, but what impresses me with each viewing is the nature of the protagonist.

George is a real person, one with faults and foibles as well as nobility. We're allowed to see him struggle with frustration ("Why do we have to have all these kids!"). He's not a saint, but neither is he the average guy.

George is a complex fellow. While he dreams of adventures, again and again, he sets aside what he wants in order to serve other people. Something has impacted him throughout his life, some element that causes him to continually see the value in others. What makes a man do that even during the depth of self-despair?

Even during a clouded moment when he considers the proposition that he's worth more dead than alive, he abandons his suicidal choice to rescue a drowning stranger. Suddenly, his convictions remind him of life's sanctity.

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