Essays from West of 98: Community Spirit and Bedford Falls
The ultimate lesson of "It's a Wonderful Life"
“Dear George:
Remember no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings!
Love, Clarence”
It’s an iconic moment in film history, the closing scene of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” If you need a refresher, small-town businessman George Bailey is near financial ruin on Christmas Eve. Drunk and suicidal, George is confronted by his guardian angel, Clarence, who shows him the value of his life. George returns home to find that his community has rallied to save him. As a house full of guests sing joyously and celebrate, George finds a mysterious copy of Tom Sawyer (Clarence’s favorite book) with this inscription written inside.
This film has many wonderful lessons. I’ve written about it before. George is a decent man and a selfless, community-minded servant. He is very giving, to a fault, and it nearly takes him under. But there’s something else I want to discuss today.
During the film, Clarence takes George on a tour of life as if George had never been born. The results are stark. The message is clear: one human influences more lives than they know. But why does George Bailey have such an impact and why does he matter so much to the people of Bedford Falls?
It’s the spirit of community.
George was deeply committed to making his community better. He inherited this trait from his father Peter, who founded Bailey Building and Loan. George was not originally committed by choice. He dreamed of traveling and leading a much different life, but his father’s untimely death thrust him into leadership of the Building and Loan and he seized on it. In the alternate reality, the community didn’t crater merely because George wasn’t there to run the Building and Loan. Yes, that mattered in a big way, but George also instills a sense of purpose within the community.
You know the scene where the bank run hits and the Building and Loan customers pile in to withdraw their money? George gives a passionate speech that convinces most of his customers to limit their withdrawals. The underlying principle of the speech is that the community is greater than the sum of its parts. If each person withdrew their money, the Building and Loan would fail and they would all become more dependent on the levers of power controlled by the greedy Mr. Potter. Or, as George pled, they could stick together with the larger purpose of the Building and Loan in mind. The business was transforming Bedford Falls—people were becoming more independent, prosperous, and free of Mr. Potter. They were all stronger and their lives were better as a result.
The alternate reality shows the peril of living together without a community purpose. Mr. Potter controls all business and capital in town. In fact, Bedford Falls becomes known as “Pottersville.” Without hope of independence and prosperity, the people descend into mindless pursuit of vice.
I could spend weeks writing about the lessons from this fine film. There’s an entire book to be written on rural revitalization and “It’s a Wonderful Life.” But this year, the sense of community purpose weighs on me. George had it, he embodied it, and he inspired it in others. In the alternate reality, Bedford Falls didn’t fall apart merely because George Bailey was never born. It fell apart because it became a group of individuals living without a sense of community. George and his wife Mary were the human version of the prairie lupine I wrote about a few weeks ago—their talent, zeal, and energy inspired an entire community. The fruits are apparent at the end. When George is in trouble, Mary notifies others, and the community pours out their hearts and empties their pockets to help George.
Maybe that’s the ultimate lesson of “It’s a Wonderful Life” (at least this year). George and Mary Bailey were great people, but their greatest accomplishment was inspiring a sense of community in others.
James Decker is the Mayor of Stamford, Texas and the creator of the West of 98 website and podcast. Contact James and subscribe to these essays at westof98.substack.com and subscribe to West of 98 wherever podcasts are found.