What makes a classic a classic?

Last week, I asked the question, what makes a film a film?

Today, I twist that question a little, and ask what makes a classic film a classic?

It's a Wonderful Life is counted among the ranks of classics. But why?

It would be easy to simply say that if it's black and white, it's a classic. But that's not necessarily true, either. I've seen some really bad black and white movies. But there are others, like Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and (God help us) The Sound of Music that have achieved classic status in all their Technicolor glory.

So while a lack of color helps, it's not definitive. So what else is there?

First, I believe a classic, in most cases, must be considered a film. I have defined what a film is in an earlier post, so I won't go into it very deeply here. But here are the highlights. A film should do one or more of the following:

• Makes you think
• Contains several messages/morals
• Demands an emotional reaction
• Leaves you speechless
• Makes you want to take action for or against something
• Makes you ask questions
• Sometimes you are afraid to answer those questions

There are, of course, movies that don't fit into this category, and yet become classics. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story are two movies (but probably not films) that rank right at the top of the list of movies to watch every Christmas season, right there with It's a Wonderful Life. Rocky Horror Picture Show is another movie (not on the Christmas list) that is considered a cult classic.

So as you can see, it's not a simple answer. Yet in a way, it really is. Because what all of these films have in common is a sense of timelessness and relate-ability. Multiple generations can sit down together and appreciate these movies and films and relate to the characters. 

Most boys can relate to Ralphie's desire for a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle with a compass in the stock and "this thing which tells time" That desire for a BB gun is timeless.

Every family has that one crazy person in their family that makes Christmas entertaining....or less than entertaining. I have been told that this person has been me in years past. Sometimes we see ourselves or people we know in Clark Griswold and family.

So timelessness and relate-ability: These parts constitute the lynch pin that defining a classic. What do you think?

Blogging From A to Z - D is for Dad, Dreams, Dance

Welcome to the It's A Wonderful Blog's Blogging From A to Z April (2015) Challenge. For this challenge, I will post every day in April (except for Sundays) about topics related to the Frank Capra/Jimmy Stewart film, It's a Wonderful Life.

Dad:
Dads rock. They can fix anything...even flowers. They know the answers to life's most difficult questions. They listen rationally to your crazy ideas, and sometimes even agree with them. At least mine does.

Dreams:

Source: http://bedfordfallssentinel.blogspot.com/2012/02/
travel-like-george-bailey-or-at-least.html

Everybody has dreams. We fight for them, we plan for them. We yearn for them. We...DREAM about them.

George Bailey had dreams. They involved anchor chains, plane motors and train whistles. They involved Venezuelan oil fields and working across on a cattle boat. None of those dreams happened.

In time, George came to realize that you don't have to leave Bedford Falls to find adventure.

Dance:
Oyes Oyes Oyes! It was the Charleston contest that allowed George and Mary to reconnect. We hadn't seen Mary since she was a little girl, professing her love for George over the soda shop counter. As adults and high school graduates, if they want to chat, they have to dance together.

Both Mary and George admitted that they couldn't dance. Yet they still gave it the ole' college try and got jiggy with it. And somehow, they managed to win the competition.

The question is, why did they win? Were they better than they thought? Or did they win because they were oblivious to the world around them, which caused them to take an unplanned swim and inspired an entire gym full of teens and adults to jump in the drink, as well?

What do you think?

How cool is your dad? Tell us about him.

What is your dream?

Did they really win, or did they win because they were good sports?

Living in Color, Dreaming in Black and White

My colorized copy. Also includes a
black and white copy.

I broke my cardinal rule. I watched It's a Wonderful Life in color. I promised myself that I would never do it. Not only did I actually do it, but I also bought a copy of it in color.

The question becomes, after more than 25 years of watching the black and white version, WHY did I do it? The answer is actually pretty simple: Mary Hatch's mailbox.

Wait, what???!!! That's right. A mailbox.

About a month ago, while watching the black and white version, I thought I saw a nautical scene painted on the mailbox. It looked like a ship's bow and mast. The mailbox says, "Mrs. J.W. Hatch." But it's a mystery what happened to Mary's father. He doesn't exist. 

I thought that with a picture of a man hanging on the wall in Mary's parlor, along with a nautical scene on the mailbox, I might be able to explain his non-existence as being due to death at sea. But I couldn't quite make out the design in the black and white version. So I borrowed a copy of the colorized version from the library. 

IAWL in color.

In getting to that scene, I went a little too far, and landed on George and Mary's wedding day. While watching that part, I saw Mr. Gower in the crowd. I had never seen that before. I thought to myself, "If I missed that in the black and white version, what else can the colorized version reveal that I had never seen before?

So I bought a copy. And on Feb. 28, I watched it. What I found was amazing. In the first 10 minutes, I found 13 things I had never noticed before. That list will be the subject of a later post.

The most intriguing thing I noticed, however, was that not everything in every scene is colorized. For example:

• The sign during the war montage is in black and white. Sure, you can say it's black lettering on a white sign, but look at the background. There is a distinct lack of color.
• During the bank run, the people running behind the rear window of the car are in black and white.

IAWL in color.

• During the scene where George walks into Billy's office and finds Billy looking for the money, the outside that can be seen through the window is black and white.

So now the question is "was it worth it?" Unequivocally, YES! I shouldn't really support the colorized version. I have always fought it and spoken out against it. But the newest colorized version is a far cry from the 1980s faded pastel colorized version. It's so much better than it used to be.

Having watched this film more than 800 times, I also needed a fresh look. That's what the colorized version did for me. I found new things. I found answers to some questions that I had (no, it's not a nautical scene).

I will continue watching this film in black and white on a regular basis. But when I have a question about something I see, I will turn to the colorized version just to make sure.

And I only paid $10 for it, so bonus points.

How do you feel about the colorized version?