"It's a Wonderful Life" or "A Christmas Story"?

Question

And what are your spiritual reasons for the movie you chose?

Dawn, "A Christmas Story" is from the early '80's, and could very well be my favorite movie ever, not at all yucky or saccharine. "It's a wonderful Life" is rather yucky and saccharine.

*ducks*

Answer 1

do i need to look in the 50s' or 60s' archives at netflix to find those .. both kinda give me a gag reflex at first glance ..

Answer 2

So there you go. It is what one believes about the history of Xmas, and the reason one celebrates Christmas that I respect despite my faith or lack thereof. You could call it Reindeer Baptism Party Day and I would feel the same. Somewhere there are young Rudolfs very spiritually honoring the first indoctrined foal to come out of Lapland in a somber, pious mood. In other places there are sled races and eggnog bongs and pin the angel on the tree games, and Rudolf is not allowed to play. Not that he would anyway, to him it is blasphemy. It's the Ads and Marketing of the holidays that bother me. They have their hooks in the American psyche through years of black ops research and the formation of yet another part of the sinister plot to gain wealth in abundance off of every man woman and child, using money as a tool. They are amassing stockpiles of natural resources, fuel and minerals, information technology, grains and other foodstuffs, medicine and medical knowledge etc. Money won't buy anything when the earth is mined and deforested and the seas and other waters are polluted. A parcel of seeds might bear the occasional harvest but not in a Wasteland. Somehow, I believe the most priceless thing will be finding men (and women) with honor, intelligence, courage and empathy. Desperation will steal those things from the soul if one allows the slightest wrong that they could have prevented. I did not mean to go on and on instead of simply anwering the X ? but like T.S.Eliot says, "this is the way the world ends- not with a bang but a whimper..."

Answer 3

Well, I like both of them, but I think "It's a Wonderful Life" has a much more spiritual angle to it than the other and not just because of Clarence. It's quite a redeeming movie and I wish I could experience what the world would have been like without me. I think, at times, the movie gets it wrong as with Mary ending up an "old maid" when, earlier in the film, that Wainright guy was very much interested in her. I think it can get a little over the top in how important George is to everyone. (Would his mother really be so grumpy and poor if it hadn't been for George?) But I think the message of doing good to others will come back to you gets across well and entertaining-ly.

Answer 4

A Christmas Story -- the one starring Alistair Sims. And just for the scene where Scrooge sends the mealymouthed charity collectors packing with a few short, deliciously sharp words.

Wonderful Life always makes me nauseous, because I'm unable to achieve the state of willing suspension of disbelief -- it seems incredible to me that a man as intelligent as George Bailey needs an angel to teach him that his life has value.

And if you've guessed that I'm not much fun as a movie companion -- you're right. ;-)

Answer 5

It's A Wonderful Life - cause it's meant to be sappy and it succeeds.

A Christmas Story is supposed to be funny and it only ends up being mildly amusing at it's best points.

Thanks for asking - I was wondering the same question!
Peace to you.

BTW: the 2 must-do movies in our house are The Muppet Christmas Carol and Christmas Vacation (shows you where my sense of humor is...)

Answer 6

Oh, "A Christmas Story", definitely.

For some reason, I've never been able to sit through "It's a Wonderful Life". I've seen the whole thing, but only in bits and pieces.

Answer 7

I enjoy both... I think I prefer IAWL more than CS because of the closer relation to the spiritual beliefs... Christmas Story was a cute story about a kid and his desire for a Red Ryder BB Gun. Still available by the way.

I also enjoy Christmas Vacation... "So can I get you something to eat, refill your eggnog, drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?" "No, I'm just fine like I am, Clark."

Answer 8

A Christmas Story,

I mean, did you see that Leg Lamp? And the bunny suit! Oh, and the dogs ate the turkey, and I totally love that movie.

No spiritual reason, I just think it is cute.

Not to mention, I am from the same area as the author of the short story (he narrates), so there are lots of references to towns around where I live.

Answer 9

Both Classics.

Its a Wonderful Life - more serious.

A Christmas Story - more for humor.

Answer 10

A Christmas Story.

It's not so much choosing that, as rejecting the other. I mean, c'mon, a guy is going to commit suicide who has a terrrific wife, four children, an enormous home, and a huge number of friends? D'oh! Suspend my disbelief.

Answer 11

A Christmas Story. It's one of the traditions that, if we don't do it, my kids scream bloody murder. It has more genuine laughs and more real heart. Plus, who doesn't love a leg lamp?

p.s. Bettie - I have to wonder, after reading the answers, could it be that Atheists tend to pick "A Christmas Story" and believers tend to go for "It's a Wonderful Life"? I guess that would make a kind of sense...