The dystopian Pottersville in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is starting to feel less like fiction

By: Nora Gilbert, University of North Texas, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: December 11, 2025

Words: 1,461

Last Updated: 1 month ago

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By Nora Gilbert, University of North Texas

Along with millions of others, I’ll soon be taking 2 hours and 10 minutes out of my busy holiday schedule to sit down and watch a movie I’ve seen countless times before: Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which tells the story of a man’s existential crisis one Christmas Eve in the fictional town of Bedford Falls.

There are lots of reasons why this eight-decade-old film still …

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