George Bailey lives in a small town and as a boy has big dreams of leaving for good as soon as he grows up.  His father is a banker who runs a small loans office helping the people of the town keep their heads above water.  When his father dies suddenly George  is forced to take over the business to prevent the bigger banker ( Mr.Potter .) from taking a monopoly on the town and forcing people to default on their mortgages. Sound familiar?

So George marries his small town girl, builds up his small town business, provides affordable housing for the towns folk and even puts his brother through college.  As his family grows George is sucked in deeper and deeper.  The big bank tries to buy him out but George stands firm. Just when Bailey’s loans office starts to make a profit disaster strikes and the big banker gets the money.  George has a breakdown and runs away from home.  While standing on a bridge in the snow, contemplating suicide, George sees a man jump into the icy waters.  Unbeknownst to George the man is an angel ( Clarence Odbody ) sent down from heaven to help him.  When George wishes he’d never been born the angel shows him all the wonderful things that would never have been accomplished but for his existence.  George at last realises the value of his life and of his influence on those around him.

He has everything.  The love of his family, the loyalty of the towns people; who actually make a collection  managing to donate the equivalent sum to the amount that’s been stolen and that thing that we all strive for which is that sense of being complete.  This is because George is a giver.  When we give we receive and that is the true meaning of Christmas. Not one gun shot in this whole movie.