MOVIES VS. CAPITALISM: It’s A Wonderful Life (w/ Melanie Vesey)

On this week’s Movies vs. Capitalism, hosts Rivka Rivera and Frank Cappello are joined by comedian and actor Melanie Vesey for a cheerful yet critical discussion about Frank Capra’s classic 1946 Christmas film starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, It’s A Wonderful Life.

A rough transcript of the episode is available here.

It’s difficult to remember a time when It’s A Wonderful Life wasn’t deeply etched into America’s cultural memory. Whether it’s constantly replaying on cable, or being referenced in other media, Capra’s film is everything you would want out of a film: It stars some of our favorite actors, the filmmaking is top notch, and the film is unstoppably charming, emotionally compelling, and perennially entertaining.

In today’s discussion, Rivka, Frank and Melanie dig into It’s A Wonderful Life, and how the film’s depiction of American and liberal idealism may have something to do with its staying power. They also question why Jimmy Stewart’s character George Bailey didn’t simply go on a vacation or two, and suggest that the film’s alternate reality of “Pottersville” actually looked pretty fun. 

For next week’s movie, MVC will be watching A Muppet Christmas Carol.

Links:

• Netflix Turns To South Korean Writers And Crews As Hollywood Strikes. But They Feel Exploited Too (Los Angeles Times, 2023)

If you like this episode, feel free to pitch into the tip jar — it helps us do this kind of reporting:

We hope you enjoy our new weekly podcast — it’s the next step in our plan to build a powerful independent voice to take on corporate media.