It is simply the greatest American film ever made, beyond its earned status as the greatest Christmas film. It never ages, though it depicts a long ago small-town, which, remarkably, still exists in many places in the United States. The story is beautifully set up, from George Bailey's boyhood heroics in saving his younger brother to the final, magnificent scene of George's neighbors, friends, and family, showing the better angles of their nature - and the realization of how much George has meant to them, though he didn't realize it until it was too late. It is a kind of ghost story like Dickens "A Christmas Carol," but far more layered, with a strong, passionate love story, endowed with warmth and beauty, and also a comedic film, a film noir film, an inspirational film - all contained within its magnificence. How was Capra able to pull it off? With first class attention to every detail - and, of course, a superb cast. James Stewart gives the best performance by an actor in sound film. He goes though more changes, from innocence and idealism, to maturity, to haunting despair, and, finally, elation. Name me another actor who could do all that. "It's A Wonderful Life" doesn't seem "made" as much as "born" - a miracle that has kept giving since 1946. And we needed it more in this year - 2020 - than ever before.