There are some movies that are just too good for this world. This winter, I rewatched It's a Wonderful Life with my sister (and her dog). We narrowly missed watching a colorized version. Yikes! (If you're wondering why I'm writing about a Christmas movie so far out of season, read to the end).
It had been a while since I last watched it, so I caught a few details I had missed previously. For example, when the bank run occurs, George asks the nervous clients if they would only withdraw $20 to tide them over until the banks reopen so that he will be able to keep his doors open. Most of the people agree to work with him, requesting the suggested $20. Ms. Davis asks for $17.50 instead of the suggested $20. It's a sweet gesture and everyone laughs while George affectionately gives her a kiss on the cheek. At the end of the day though, George only has two $1 bills left to put in the safe. They are $2 away from being shut down. If Ms. Davis hadn't reduced her request by $2.50, they would have been short and Mary and George's sacrifice of their honeymoon fund would have left them without a business.
I was surprised to notice a major theme I hadn't caught before. For those who know and love the movie, Mary and George are both generous and selfless, even while they have real personal desires which sometimes go unmet. George is very compassionate to people in a variety of ways, but his driving concern and passion seems to be homeownership. Perhaps I hadn't noticed it because of the complexity of the topic. It is not simple to represent unless someone already has some knowledge on the subject (probably because they are a homeowner or trying to become one).
There is certainly a lot of emphasis in the movie on the importance of home. Mary puts in the work to make "the old Granville house" a beautiful home for herself, George, and their children. George wants to travel, but is continuously drawn back to his own community and home. The tests George is put through when he gets his wish show a world that is not only self-centered, but with a lack of ownership. The town's people don't own homes (or their responsibilities or their role in community) instead, they are owned by the big bosses.
The significance of homeownership is something I've been learning about more recently. Homeownership increases wealth and stability. It's usually cheaper than renting and allows for the accumulation of generational wealth. I've also learned how some people, particularly black Americans, were put at a disadvantage through redlining. Redlining kept banks from offering loans on homes in "risky" neighborhoods (often historically black neighborhoods), diminishing the value of these homes and shutting people out of the housing market. This began in the 1930s, more than a decade before the movie came out, but would continue for nearly two decades more.
George has a big heart and cares about people, but he and his father are wise enough to see what is hurting them and what will be the biggest help. He knows being caught in the cycle of renting makes them dependent on their landlord (Potter in their case). He knows it means they won't have as much control over their quality of life or be able to pass on as much to their children. For the Martini family (and other poor immigrants), homeownership could change the trajectory of their family for generations, not just give them dignity in the moment.
George Bailey is serving people in a huge way, but not through a foodbank or handouts. He is giving people, including immigrants who might have been discriminated against, the chance to build wealth. Though they don't highlight any black families conducting business with George in the movie, there are a few black people who come into help him at the end of the movie. Maybe they were also recipients of his good faith and willingness to take a risk to help them become established.
I was curious to know if there were nonprofit organizations in my area which encourage and support affordable homeownership, especially for lower income families that might not have the opportunity otherwise. I was familiar with Habit for Humanity, but didn't realize quite what they did. I had heard about how they built houses for people, but I think that was associated more in my mind with the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. However, I realized that Habitat for Humanity's main goal is to create opportunities for homeownership which wouldn't exist otherwise. Anyone they build a house for purchases the home. Potential owners must show the ability to pay, take homeownership classes, and work a certain number of hours on the house being built for them. Habitat is able to make the house affordable through donations and volunteer labor so that they can legitimately sell the new house to someone at a rate they can afford.
I am glad to see this work being done locally! I am interested in volunteering some time for Habitat for Humanity this year. I was initially delaying posting this until after I had served so I could share a little bit about my experience (why this may seem 4 or 5 months out of season) but I realized I don't feel comfortable going to job site on my own. If anyone local is interested in volunteering with me this summer, please let me know!
Photo by Jake Colling on Unsplash
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