Sometimes it probably even is

[cosmolinguist]

I nearly didn't go to It's a Wonderful Life at the Cornerhouse. I told Andrew not to get me a ticket, originally.

Oh, that old thing, I was thinking. I don't need to see it again.

Even today I didn't want to: I can't eat or sleep or get dressed lately without feeling overwhelmed, much less go out for (supposed) fun.

But now that I have, of course I'm glad I did. Partly seeing it at the cinema, partly being with two friends who'd never seen it before...and partly I think it was how much Jimmy Stewart reminds me of my dad.

I got nearly to the end, congratulating myself on not having shed a tear, and then of course I did, when Uncle Billy dumped that basket of money on the table.

I think I did need to see it again.

Comments

[ludy]

:)

[uglybuffy.livejournal.com]

Jimmy Stewart has the same birthday as me! Just had to throw that in.

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

I'm going to see it myself on Christmas Eve at the Cottage Road cinema. It's a film I have mixed feelings about, because there is an awful lot of jingoism, racism and misogyny in there which rather kicks me out of the warm nostalgic glow it is meant to generate, so I had reservations about going when I first heard that they were showing it. But, but Christmas! And James Stewart! So now that it's only a few days away I am really looking forward to it, and will doubtless come out of the cinema feeling all swept away with the romance of it - but also slightly icky and annoyed with myself about that at the same time.

[cosmolinguist]

I kind of like feeling a bit icky. I can't cope with anything too straightforwardly romantic or nostalgic, it makes me uncomfortable. Being able to retain some detachment from it helps keep that from being too much for me :)

Plus, small-town America was and is racist and jingoist and misogynist, and I guess I feel authentically at home to see it presented that way :) I'll spend the next week being kicked out of happy feelings by sudden, weird, racism and misogyny and homophobia and other kinds of judgementalism and discrimination, it's no doubt been a part of all my Christmases, so why not a part of the films too? ;)

[diffrentcolours]

I got a bit moist-eyed when his brother toasted him as the richest man in Bedford Falls :)

[cosmolinguist]

Aw, yes. Damn, they know what they're doing so well in that movie, and even when I know that it still works anyway. :)