It's a wonderful life

Our days are engulfed in chaos, conflict, and dispiriting news. Then along comes a director like Frank Capra (1897-1991), churning out what have been called "fantasies of good will," imposing order with his ragged little messiahs who take meaningful stands against king-sized injustices. A self-described "Christmas Catholic," Capra fought his moral battles on the silver screen. He believed each person is "essentially good, a living atom of divinity.... Films must be made to say these things, to counteract the violence and the meanness, to buy time to demobilize the hatreds." Take your stand. Tell a story of hope.