This Randian case has been made by others, and my feelings depend on what day you ask me about these tales of two architects (thanks for reminding me, Ed!) but yeah…
Smart, ambitious George gets stuck at the modest Building and Loan back in Hickville when his brother marries into a cushy corporate gig and his father dies. After years of dreaming of going off to college, traveling the world and becoming a top engineer or architect, his life is spent scraping by, and helping others do the same.
Somehow the movie — like the Occupiers of today — tries to turn that into a virtue (…)
the obvious solution is for George’s guardian angel, Clarence, to simply tell George that Potter has his money, send the cops to slap the cuffs on him and that would be that.
But Clarence is apparently a counter worker from the heavenly Registry of Motor Vehicles. Rather than solve the problem, he goes the long way around, showing George how lousy everyone else’s life in Bedford Falls would be without him.
And, of course, Clarence is right, but how is that wonderful for George? Sure, his neighbors all bust their piggy banks to help out, but in the end George is still stuck in Bedford Falls, his friends are out their savings . . . and Potter still has the 8 grand! You call this “wonderful?”
***
Yep. I spend the third act fantasizing about Uncle Billy’s head on a pike.
PS: fix the goddam bannister! (Actually, George thinks fixing the bannister knob is beneath him and he’s probably right. SO MOVE!!)
Also? I liked Scrooge better before.
