This movie is initially intriguing in it's oddness. It's hard to name the genre. It's like a Horatio Alger story that becomes, um, I don't know, a boy's romance?
But what might have been intriguing is exposed as just so much floundering. There is no way that cheerful, caring George Baily (Robert J Anderson) can grow up to become preening, effete villain Zachary Scott. It's just not possible. Anderson is way sympathetic. Scott is like a weird alien, who never has the audiences identification. Horace the child is not dreaming of growing up to go to black-tie balls.
The first 40 minutes will intrigue fans of atypical movies, But the middle hour just sits there and dies. It's too bad the film's message ends up being the homily: "Stay home, have no ambition & lead a trite life!"
But what might have been intriguing is exposed as just so much floundering. There is no way that cheerful, caring George Baily (Robert J Anderson) can grow up to become preening, effete villain Zachary Scott. It's just not possible. Anderson is way sympathetic. Scott is like a weird alien, who never has the audiences identification. Horace the child is not dreaming of growing up to go to black-tie balls.
The first 40 minutes will intrigue fans of atypical movies, But the middle hour just sits there and dies. It's too bad the film's message ends up being the homily: "Stay home, have no ambition & lead a trite life!"