Oh my heart, this movie!

I was a weird kid. I found other kids impossible to understand and the constant threats from parents, who wanted me to ‘go outside and play,’ when I was perfectly happy reading or watching old movies, was unfathamable.

Weekends were spent sneaking off to the Library, having lied that I was playing out and, if there was no dreary football on, watching old movies, lying on my belly in the living room, the carpet scrathy on my skin.

Somehow in all of this, I fell in love with Jimmy Stewart. Like a baby bird he imprinted on me as the archetype of the perfect man – he was honourable, kind, truthful, and just a little awkward.

I love him still.

In these days of discovering much-loved artists, actors, musicians and writers were absolute pigs in real life, destroying any joy you can find from their work, my son once joked how awful it would be if I found out that Jimmy Stewart was a bastard in real life.

Horrified, I didn’t want to know, but then I had to know – Christmas depended on it. So I made my son Google and rest easy my friends because everyone who ever knew him said my Jimmy was lovely. He was a gentleman through and through and the model other men in my life have had to live up to.

So, my gift for you today is It’s a Wonderful life – oh, poor Georges’s face when he realises he’s going to have to stay and work at the Building and Loan. Oh and when he wishes for the moon, oh and when he kisses his kids when he gets back at the end. And Zuzu’s petals.

You’ve a cold heart made of stone if you don’t love this film. And if you hate it, well then I’m not sure we can be friends.

For more of my Jimmy, check out Harvey, oh and the wonderful The Shop Around The Corner,ooh and Mr Smith goes to Washington, The Philadephia Story, Rope – ooh espcially Rope, Rear Window – in fact all of the Hitchcock movies. The Glen Miller Story with the fabulous June Allyson.

Today is a gift to myself really, so forgive my indulgence if all this is not your thing. Today is all about me, Jimmy and Donna Reed making sure an angel gets his wings.

(thank god for spell check or that would have been about angles and even my Jimmy couldn’t make me do maths.)