It's A Wonderful Life

Despite the fact that the movie takes place at several different stages of the main character's life besides Christmas, it's still considered a classic movie to watch at or around Christmas because of its powerful messages of hope and love.

Loosely based on the short story "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern, the movie is about a man named George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart), who becomes deeply depressed on Christmas Eve to the point of suicide. It seems nothing in his life has ever gone the way he wanted it to, and with his company's imminent collapse, he decides the best thing to do would be to end it all.

Thwarting his suicide attempt, however, is his guardian angel, named Clarence, who has yet to earn his wings. Clarence has come to show George what the world would have been like if he hadn't been born at all--a terrible world in which his kid brother died at a young age because he wasn't there to rescue him, his family ends up in poor houses and mental institutions, his wife ends up an old maid who never married, and the his hometown of Bedford Falls becomes a home to gambling and prostitution.

In the end, George realizes just how wonderful his life really is, and Clarence is awarded his wings.

While its tone shifts wildly from uplifting to downright bleak, this film is a gem of the holidays, for it shows us that even in the worst of times, you should look to the things that make your life wonderful---family, friends, and hope.