It's A Wonderful Life: Individual vs. Community 

On top of that I think we should celebrate pieces of art that celebrates kindness in very genuine ways.

Frank Capra was often criticized for his optimistic and morally upright films. He was, according to his detractors, spreading the myth of the American Dream. But there has never been another film director who has written and directed such ardent love letters to his adopted country. Capra was a poor Italian immigrant that arrived penniless, aimless, and with no education. He created his success out of nothing. The American Dream isn’t a myth and like this clip states, hope is not naive. I like to think that Capra would’ve enjoyed this analysis immensely. He was a gifted filmmaker and a great American.

This is a bit of a weird confession but I actually shed tears while watching this, and I wasn't expecting it. I've been struggling with working out how to balance my life, and the crushing loneliness that I have brought on myself in pursuit of my own dreams, which haven't been a replacement for companionship at all. I'm still trying to work out where to go from here, but this is some very good food for thought. Thanks for making this. And I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Nerdwriter!

That was absolutely beautiful. The effort you put in is so clear in every video you make.

God this movie always makes me weep like a baby.

to quote Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer "We never win, Never will. That's not why we fight. We do it because there's things worth fighting for.

Maybe sacrificing individualism can feel like a punishment, but only because our rewards do not manifest materially, but the community itself is the reward? "To my brother, George Bailey, the richest man in town."

"The world shines with the promise of adventure and possibility. All that could be gained, experienced, learned, if only you were to commit yourself to a radical individualism. And yet the responsibilities of family and of the community nag, they call us back, they ask us to sacrifice... " By far the best video you've put out sir!

This movie is the reason I cry every time I hear Auld Lang Syne. Masterful dissection. Thank you.

"Hope is not naive." *sniff* I'm not crying, you're crying!

Cool note: This was the first film that Jimmy Stewart made after his service in World War Two. At the time He and others wouldn’t know it but he suffered from PTSD and it shows in his performance which to me only makes this movie so much more powerful.

"If you have the answer, tell us, because we're still, at the eve of 2016, struggling to figure it out." This has aged well, as has this entire video.

Never saw it that way. Hats off to you, sir.

I finally watched It’s A Wonderful Life for the first time last night, and as a 25 year old who only recently and narrowly escaped my hometown to go to college, George Bailey’s story hit me hard. Loved the film.

That's a good observation about how "no good deed goes unpunished." I've seen this picture show since I was a kid in the 70's & never noticed that particular aspect of the story.

This is my all time favourite christmas film. It always makes me feel all the emotions!

Dude... just... you are the only youtuber I know I thumb up on each video and have now brought me to the brink of tears. I wish I could support your work more than just sharing. Keep up the fantastic work. You are an example of something I didn't even knew could exist on a platform like RU-vid.

I come back to this essay every year around the holidays. Thank you.

How does a culture predicated on individualism maintain public virtue? I think that you, and the movie itself may have taken a step towards answering that question within the life of George Bailey. He himself makes the individual commitment to maintain public virtue. A commitment to a moral life within the individual is what reconciles and brings about public virtue in the first place. In fact, it may be the only thing that can.

One of my favorite movies. I've had a few acquaintances laugh at me when I told them this, only to later tell me (after watching it again) that they agreed it was a good movie after all. Truly impressed with your channel. Every video is a work of art. Also impressed with the thoughtful, insightful, intelligent comments for each video. You're my new favorite RU-vid channel. Kudos.

Tu trabajo es increible, porque sin conocer todos los elementos de tu cultura pop, y sin siquiera ser YO bilingue (por eso te comento en español, soy argentino) puedo entender los mensajes de tus trabajos y disfrutar de tu filosofia. Continua por mucho con esta tarea, es esperanzadora. Gracias.

This case study along with “It’s a Wonderful Life” gives me this great sense of optimism and hope that missing the rest of the year. I need that feeling all year long.

This movie is one of the best ever. That ending overwhelms even just thinking about it. As for this video, it's brilliant. One of the best channels on RU-vid I have come across.

With pure intellectual stimulation and profound insight, Nerdwriter1 is by far my favourite channel on RU-vid, as it definitely scratches an itch that no other channel has been able to. This is the first time I posted a comment on RU-vid, which I think indicates how highly I value your videos. Thank you for all the hard work, dedication and passion you put into the Nerdwriter project, Evan. I am contributing to your Patreon as soon as I get a job!

Watching this video has also become an annual tradition for me.

2020 and this video still gets me. Thank you.

The ending of this movie makes me cry every Christmas when I watch it & I hope that never changes. And I also think James Stewart is one of the greatest actors to grace the silver screen.

I almost shed a tear with this video.... It's A Wonderful Life is such a treasure in my life and I always find myself crying no matter how many times I watch it.

Your stuff just keeps getting better. I love your channel so much.

As always you've done it again - Your videos are both a work of art and they always leave me with contemplating afterthoughts. Keep doing the work you do and I look forward to seeing this channel evolve to something bigger. Merry Christmas when you get there and may 2016 be a good year for your channel.

In this world adventure is something that a fraction of society has ever really experienced. Adventure does not have, a solid definition. For everyone it is different. How are children, the future of this planet supposed to truly learn if they have all these pre made rules and technology for themselves. The first humans didn't have someone they could ask to tell them their next steps. In my mind, adventure is not knowing how to do something. It is starting from scratch and completing something. I myself have never experienced anything close to this, I like billions of others live in a world where it's ok to not know how something works. If you went to some of the poorest places in the world and talked to the homeless there, I would be willing to bet that their story is something that most have us have only experienced through books and movies. I ask anyone who reads this comment, have you experienced true adventure?

First time watching this video - I watched It’s A Wonderful Life for the first time in Christmastime 2020, and it forever changed me, made me feel grateful for my life and my sacrifices, despite not being where I wanted to be. Now in 2024, I’m in a much better place. Without (finally) seeing this film, I don’t know where I’d be.

Merry Christmas Nerdwriter

A profound, insightful perspective of one of the greatest films ever made, and definitely one of my absolute favorites.

Brilliant film. Brilliant commentary. Thank you.

I love the contrast of the now-bustling downtown in Pottersville with the individual suffering of the people Geoge has helped in his community. I think it's really important for George to learn his lesson. He thought he sought the adventure and industrialization, but what he truly cared about in his heart, and what he genuinely cared about at his core was the community of people around him, and they're the ones who gave his life enormous, immeasurable value.

Thank you! What a beautiful coincidence, just booked 4 tickets to see a screening of this in Glasgow, then up popped your topic this week-- now we'll get even more out of it!

Thank you for this. It's an unbelievably complex film that gets better as you age and mature.

You said Potter was a protagonist. I'm sure you meant antagonist. Just mentioning. I think your videos are brilliant.

minor correction at 5:37 potter is the main antagonist not protagonist

Nerdwriter1-Your analyses are profound. But that's not what gets me. It's your combination of intelligence and wonderful storytelling that gets me tearing up damn near every time. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas Nerdwriter1.

This is amazing. Thank you for highlighting one of my favorite movies!

Vince Guaraldi Trio's "Skating" - an excellent touch. Happily revisiting this film annually. Well done.

Watched most if not all of your videos - whilst all good, this one is truly beautiful. So many people should watch this and try to understand.

Man, Ive been binge watching your videos for the past 4 hours!!! Great stuff man

I come back every year to this. So succinctly put, a beautiful film and a beautiful message

One of the greatest video essays i've ever seen, fav movie!

Saw this movie for the first time in a local historic cinema with my wife (then girlfriend) along with a sold-out house of people. It has since become part of my holiday tradition to watch it late on Christmas Eve. In your video above, your articulation of the struggle between individual and community efforts is wonderful. It doesn't quite go all the way to explaining the personal experience of catharsis I have upon each viewing (assuming such an experience can be fully explained at all), but I greatly appreciate you clarifying that a light or fluffy interpretation of the film would be a detriment. I'm certain you've been praised for this video, but if you're anything like me, there's no point at which that stops being helpful. So thank you. Well done! Addendum: I'm in the process of writing a script for little film project, and it's such a resource to be able to jump into the heart of film (or focus on one aspect of it) through video essays like this one. It's not just entertainment (though I find them entertaining to watch). I can't speak for anyone else, but from my perspective it's a kind of public service you're doing. Offering us a lens by which to view the a film, and by the care with which you prepare and offer it... a lens through which to view the world, as well. It's my opinion that this is a kind of solution to the George Baily problem. Doing something for yourself, for your community. I think when a person finds a sort of task that meets the needs of both, it's a miraculous sort of alignment- or it feels like one. I guess it remains an issue of dissonance with society in the larger sense because there are few people or groups that generally believe in the availability a miraculous lifestyle (at least, not many which also understand what it means to an individual caught in the grind of individual vs. community). Traditional sources of knowledge on lifestyle are often littered with practical instructions which focus on duty or abiding by the will of a higher power (be it parents, government, deity, etc), and can be confusing for those of us stuck in the George Bailey situation. I think that's why this film has longevity. It's a breath of fresh air to see a man confront and survive his own anxiety (and suicidal thoughts- problems which are as real and observable in my hometown today as they were for George Bailey). So long as people find themselves there, this gem of a movie will carry some importance, I think. Anyway, that's all just another way to say thanks for your effort, and for sharing. This is a great video. Cheers!

"all truly strong people are kind" From vagabond

I was really close to crying. Thank you Nerdwriter for giving me hope, with almost every video you make. Your work is fantastic, and you should know how much it means to me, and probably to a lot more people. Thank you, thank you and have Merry Christmas.

This is also one of my favorite films of all time. It played a key role in my transfformation from a adolesent pre-teen to an adult. It doesn't show the far fetched elaborate obstacles, which most other movies do, it is more grounded in reality. This film really showed me what "Life" can enevitably be, and it is in our hand to make it "Wonderful." This was a great analysis! You truly make the best content on RU-vid, and its a shame that the most views go to stupid prank videos. Always look forward to the next Case Study! Thank you

that was beautiful. your love of this film comes through in your interpretation of it's meaning.

Great case study. I watch this movie every holiday season, and now you've open my eyes to a fresh and modernized perspective about themes that permeate the film and resonate today. Truly a gift...many, many thanks for posting this!

Beautifully articulated. Well done.

I haven't enjoyed reading/listening/watching film analysis this much since Ebert. :)

I think the answer to the 'self vs community' dilema is always found through struggle; Hard-won enlightenment - and gratitude for what one has more than clamouring for what he doesn't. It's always a struggle, and there's always a million would-be 'Potters' preaching the gospel of greed, But, as the Buffy quoter rightly said: 'we (good people) fight simply because there are things worth fighting for.' And, if we're lucky (win, lose or draw), love transcends -and the world (that matters) is better for it. . . . . . . . . . thanks a million for the video, Nw. (Big fan of IAWL, too - and was looking for a good 'self vs sacrifice' video. Bravo!! And thanks again.)

this is one of the only movies that has ever made me cry with joy

My 17yo son shared this with me. He knows of my love and family history with this film. Your editorial was sensitive and very insightful. We discussed your piece as a Father and Son, and how this film had an impact on my life and consequentially on his life as well. Well done! It was an opportunity to bond and share. Thank You! Deepest regards and much future success.

You should do 2001 a space Odyssey

Gave me even more appreciation for a film I've enjoyed many times.

this is one of the best reviews I ever seen, my English teacher made us watch this movie and annotate, after finishing my annotations I was really confused with what the movie was trying to tell, after watching this video I completely understand the message of this movie.(the message you gave us at the end of the review was amazing.)

This video (and this movie) is absolutely beautiful. I'd say that something definitely has changed at the end of the movie, and that's George. He sees that all the good he's done and sacrifices he's made HAVE paid off, through the relationships he's built with the people of his community.

I re-watched this video after seeing the movie on TV today. I really enjoyed how you explained not only the plot of the movie but the big themes that might be missed by those inclined to dismiss it as overly sentimental.

The solution to the individualist problem: 1. Work in the system to try and become independent* from said system (I realise this is difficult but it can be achieved**) *Independence in this case means isolation from anyone who thinks that anything but other people are the answer to happiness in life. **Conditioning here is a big issue, since many of our “uncontrollable problems” are produced by ourselves and act as barriers. 2. Start to form connections with people who have the same belief (as stated above) as you. 3. Work tirelessly to find a purpose that can bring you an income by also helping others. 4. Finally “isolate” to somewhere 5. Have a family and start the seed of change with your children. 6. Start to form a community based on the principles you believe in. 7. Die knowing that the utopia you envision was never going to be achieved in your lifetime, but that you have paved the way to said utopia in the form of your children and community. 8. Reincarnate as a dog and live ion bliss with the community. PS: come at me realists

I listened to David Foster Wallace's commencement speech to Kenyon College a few years ago just before I watched "It's A Wonderful Life" two years ago and it struck me the two of them share a similar theme, and now with this video I'm quite convinced of it. George Bailey lives his life on his Natural Default Setting becoming annoyed at all the things he believes are in his way of realizing his dreams of travel and adventure. Clarence steps in and teaches George how to think, and so after returning to reality George begins the work of "Choosing". Your videos are changing how I perceive so much. I found your channel on accident on reddit and have been binge watching all you have. You're producing some truly, truly, great and enlightening work. Thank You.

I watched this film today (December 25th 2021), and as soon as it finished, I stood up and clapped. Then I came across this video on RU-vid, and when it finished, I clapped even harder! Merry Christmas everyone!

Such an incredibly relevant movie today 77 years after its release. A true masterpiece of art and filmmaking in describing so many contradictions of life. Thanks for your synopsis

That was just simply, beautiful work.

Fantastic brother. Easily one of the greatest holiday movies there will ever be. Great work

One could argue Capra's entire filmography is about the dynamic between an individual and the community- often with the individual standing up against the crowd, with all the odds against them.

This is my favorite film of all time - and this was a nuanced, graceful analysis. Thank you for your perspective, and as always congrats on a fantastically made video.

You Sir, and the entire Nerdwriter team, are awesome. This too, is one of my favorite films, and you've given us a Wonderful look into it's world. A thousand Thank You's!!!

There is no contradiction. There is no desert without grains of sand. There's no universe without atoms. There are no communities without individuals. The reason we cannot figure out the individual vs community dilemma, is because there's no dilemma in the first place. We're looking for a problem that isn't there.

Capra was a genius. I learned more about how America REALLY is than I did from school and college. America is now really Pottersville after Reagan.

I choke up everytime his brother toasts him at the end

"Success is not mutually exclusive to an ordinary life." Being young and choosing a career path and friends and a partner and a way of life, this statement means EVERYTHING. Thank you, Nerdwriter!!!!

Life is full of adventures, in moment to moment, you don't always have to travel, but traveling could be one of the moments. Be happy with who you are at heart and world will make you feel loved,there is no inside without outside, its just a trick to make things interesting. Wish everyone warm and joyful moments everyday.

I love/hate this film. It pains me to see George's dreams squashed. In my mind, the extended version is that later, he eventually builds and travels throughout the world. ❤

7:35-8:06 what beautiful words. And the whole reason for this video and movie. Thank you for creating this, I love this movie with vitality. Jimmy is a huge influence in my acting

It's A Wonderful Life is a SPECTACULAR film, not just a holiday treat. I defy anyone to try to show more powerful acting than the moment, so superbly portrayed by the wonderful Jimmy Stewart, when George Bailey decides he is worth more dead than alive... simply heartwrenching. This film is truly a cinematic treasure.

Said this a few months back, but you were and still are one of my favorite you tubers. Your videos are intriguing and relaxing as well as thought provoking. You seem like a guy I wish I could be friends with. Thanks man

This is a graceful tribute to perhaps the greatest film ever made. I was as moved to tears by your words as I am by the film itself. Thank you for your insightful and thought-provoking work and "Meeeeerry Chriiiiiistmas!!!"

My family has been watching It's a Wonderful Life every year since I was born, and even before that. It's one of my favorite films, and never disappoints me. Thank you for this video.

Wow! I watch "It's a Wonderful Life" every Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and while I get the main points behind the movie, this critique is absolutely excellent and very in depth. I really like how you compared this to modern times and showed clips of modern day politics, etc. This definitely needs more views! Awesome work!

You hit home on this video. Everything you said rings true. Finding the balance between the individual and the community...what's good for oneself vs. what's good for the whole...is what the movie is based upon. I would point out though that the battle for Bedford Falls was waged with affordable housing. George's big speech to the board was the single most direct attack on the concept of 'Rent' ever devised. Peter Bailey died trying to supply the town of Bedford Falls with the proper infrastructure of 'community'. George knew this and carried on his father's altruistic business in order to preserve the community and save his friends and family from a wretched life in Pottersville.

Damn. The movie makes me choke up. Now this video. Your idealism about philosophy is great. I enjoyed how you dissected it with a cold eye but still left the message that hope is in how we all perceive it. Thanks

These videos remind me of back in high school when we had to write analysis essays on books and movies. I never quite understood the point of those essays until watching these videos. These are all so masterfully written that they make the genre look fresh and fucking awesome. You must have ACED those classes.

Wow you're really rocking these Understanding Art videos. Happy to see you analyzing older films! It's a Wonderful Life is certainly a wonderful choice.

I love your content. It's a refreshing change from youtubes normal lineup.

Very moving. A fitting tribute to a beautiful film.

That was pretty cool. Please keep it up. You help keep strangers like me, people you'll probably never meet, focused and yearning toward betterment. Betterment of ourselves, our communities, and of life. Thank you

Thank you! Your videos are extremely fun to watch, insightful and inspiring. As others before me, I got addicted in no time and am amazed by the amount of care, thought craft you manage to put into every single one of your videos - all alone and in just a week's time. It's also a welcome distraction from essaywriting which it simultaneously motivates ;) Cheers!

I absolutely love this channel and all of the videos you have made. I tell everyone I know and don't know to check them out so they can see for themselves just how awesome they are. I look forward to Wednesdays and the alert in the morning that tells me a video has been uploaded. Thanks for what you do! big fan

This was a really touching video, thanks. I can't say I've sat through the movie since I was a kid and I doubt I'd be able to pick up on many of the themes you've pointed out with any depth, but your articulation here was really poignant and resonant.

Absolutely fantastic! Thank you so much for this video. I'm very fond of your channel, but finding this jewel of over a year ago was a special moment just now. Thank you ever so much.

These case studies are more engaging, poignant, and and educational than a majority of if not all of the classes and lectures I drudged through in film school. Wonderful insight and storytelling!

I love this movie, dearly, like so many people, for so many reasons. When I clicked on this video I was worried I was worried an analysis would ruin some aspect of it for me. But ended up with an even deeper appreciation of it. Thank you for that.

So glad I came back to this. It really inspired some hope in me and rekindled a faith in the community that surrounds us after this divisive election. I'm definitely going to watch It's A Wonderful Life when Christmas comes around, we need some of these ideals now more than ever.

That gave me chills evan. Great work.

I'm not crying, who put this plate of onions in front of me? Wonderful video, so relevant to today. Thanks again, Nerdwriter