At the end of It’s A Wonderful Life, George Baily learns about what Bedford Falls would be like if he had never been born, learning to appreciate the life he has and a community of friends that loves him. While it was originally met with mixed reviews and a middling box office. It wasn’t until its copyright lapsed in 1974 that the film became a television staple around the Holidays, cementing itself as one of the most popular Christmas movies. Directed by Frank Capra from a script written by Capra, Frances Goodrich, and Albert Hackett, It’s a Wonderful Life features performances by Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, and more.
George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) grew up in Bedford Falls with dreams of exploring the world and designing big buildings and bridges. Despite George’s aspirations, his heart is too big to leave the town behind as he continually puts his dreams on hold to help with the family business. Eventually, he’s the only thing stopping Potter (Lionel Barrymore) from owning the whole town. After an important bank deposit goes missing and George faces jail time, he wishes he’d never been born and the angel Clarence (Henry Travers) comes to the rescue, showing him what the world would be like if he were never born and wasn’t around to help the people of Bedford Falls.
Why They Were Going to Arrest George
Uncle Billy’s missing deposit could be a serious financial crime.
After Billy misplaced the $8,000 deposit, Potter tells George reporters and someone from the district attorney’s office are looking for him and then proceeds to call the police to issue a warrant for his arrest for “misappropriation of funds, manipulation, and malfeasance.” While Potter may seem hyperbolic, George could find himself guilty of some serious financial crimes. First of all, for perspective, $8,000 in 1946 dollars is the equivalent of close to $126,000 in 2023 dollars after adjusting for inflation. As a financial institution, losing that amount of customer funds isn’t just a financial problem, it’s a serious legal liability.
Of course, George wasn’t the one who actually lost the funds, it was Uncle Billy who misplaced the $8,000 deposit, but George could still share some liability as an executive at the Building and Loan. Additionally, George is shielding Billy by taking the fall for him. He could have told Potter Billy lost the money, but he says he was the one who misplaced it. In the alternate timeline where George was never born, it’s revealed Billy was in an asylum. So, losing the money is a legal problem far more serious than the already severe financial implications, but also, George is willing to take the fall to protect Uncle Billy.
Why Potter Offered George a Job
Potter was a mean man, but he wasn’t a stupid man.
George Bailey had been going toe-to-toe with Potter since he was a kid and Potter called his dad a “miserable failure.” As an adult, George called Potter a “warped, frustrated old man,” so why did Potter offer George such a lucrative job? Potter offered George a $20 thousand a year salary, which translates to over $300 thousand in 2023 dollars after adjusting for inflation. The job included travel to New York and even occasional travel to Europe. It would have solved all George’s financial problems and finally let him travel and see the world like he always wanted to do, but George turned it down out of principle.
Potter had spent his entire life slowly buying up more and more of Bedford Falls. The housing Potter provided was far inferior in quality to the properties in Bailey Park, financed through the Bailey Bros. Building and Loan. Potter also only rented, depriving the people of Bedford Falls the opportunity to build equity or own their own property. While the Building and Loan was always struggling financially, it was still a thorn in the side of Potter’s attempts to acquire the whole town, and the alternate reality glimpsed by George showed how Bedford Falls would become Pottersville if it weren’t for George. As a shrewd businessman, Potter knew buying out George was the only way to achieve his plans.
What Happened to Clarence?
Where was he at the end? Did he get his wings?
Clarence was an angel sent to help George. In the very beginning of the movie, George’s family and friends are praying for him because he’s in a dark place. Most of the rest of the movie is Clarence being caught up on George’s life story up until the moment when George considers jumping from the bridge, which is when Clarence finally shows up, jumping into the water himself knowing George will save him instead of jumping. When George said he wished he’d never been born, Clarence grants his wish, giving him a glimpse of what the world would look like without George Bailey.
We don’t see Clarence again after he tells George Mary is closing up the library. Once he wishes for his life back, Clarence is gone and things are back to normal. While George never got to say goodbye, Clarence said goodbye in his own way. When Clarence was introduced, we learned he was only an angel second-class, meaning he didn’t have his wings yet. When he’s with George, he tells him that “every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.” After George goes home to his family, he finds Clarence’s book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and a bell on the tree rings. The book is signed:
“To George:
Remember, no man is a failure who has friends.
Thanks for the wings!
Love, Clarence.”
Ending and True Meaning Explained
Why It’s A Wonderful Life is a perfect Christmas movie.
For the entire movie, George was trying to get away from Bedford falls, but couldn’t because of the building and loan. He felt like a failure because he wasn’t accomplishing what he wanted in his life, so when it all came tumbling down he didn’t realize what he’d gained along the way until the whole town rallied behind him. He didn’t have the life he wanted, and now he had no hope of ever having it, and even the life he gave it up for is falling apart. The gift Clarence gives him is the opportunity to step back and appreciate all that he has instead of comparing it to what he wants.
At the end of It’s a Wonderful Life, Harry calls George “the richest man in town,” a clear comparison to Potter, a man who had (almost) everything he ever wanted, but was only a “warped, frustrated old man.” Potter told George earlier in the movie he was a “warped, frustrated young man,” and he was right. It was only with the gift of perspective on his life that George was able to see what he had and love it, even the broken banister. The Christmas setting gives it a holiday feel, but the message and life lessons of It’s a Wonderful Life are what gives it its Christmas spirit.
