What’s So Wonderful about ‘It’s a Wonderful Life?’

Elizabeth Camden Musings on Life

Every year Hollywood releases a slew of Christmas-themed movies, most of which barely make a ripple in our collective memory.  It’s a Wonderful Life is different. This 1946 movie is a perennial favorite even though it is darker, heavier, and more profound than we typically associate with fluffy Christmas movies.  After all, this is a story about a middle-aged man who believes his dreams have passed him by.  He fails to attain his grand childhood aspirations, he endures a business failure, scandal, and contemplates suicide.  Why does such a heavy theme resonate with us, especially at Christmas?

Christmas is a time when we are supposed to be riotously happy.  The media blasts us with images of happy families, glittering lights, lavish gifts, and the implication that the rest of the world is living in a warmly-lit, Norman Rockwell-like world.  Then comes the New Year’s holiday which prompts us to take stock of our lives and examine our accomplishments.  Is it any wonder that many of us fall a little short of this idealized world?

I think this is why Jimmy Stewart’s portrayal of George Bailey has made such a lasting impression.  He is an ordinary man who nurtured such huge dreams and worked hard to make them happen.  As he moves into middle age, he is forced to conclude most of his grand hopes will never come to pass. I think this message resonates with a lot of us.

The magic of It’s a Wonderful Life is that is celebrates the extraordinary beauty and dignity of an everyday, commonplace life.  George Bailey proves to us that our lives need not be lived on an epic scale or with material wealth to have profound value.  George Bailey is the salt of the earth and his tireless devotion to his family and community, even in the face of his own thwarted ambitions, deserve to be memorialized.

It’s a Wonderful Life is a soaring hymn to Christian values of honor, community, and compassion.  I love that it celebrates the quiet dignity of a good man, stressing that each life has value.  In a world that often overlooks such people, it elevates the life of a hardworking man into one of shining heroism.

Merry Christmas, everyone!  Like George Bailey….. I am grateful for my house with the sometimes leaky roof.  I am grateful for the twelve-year old car that gets me to work every morning.  I’m grateful to wake up each day with a sound mind and two eyes that can see the glory of God’s world.  It truly is a wonderful life.

 

The Secret of a Successful Marriage

Elizabeth Camden Musings on Life, My Novels

FTM quote

Do you agree with the quote above?

While it may not be the most romantic of sentiments, I think most happily married people will affirm it. As people go through life their needs deepen and change. A good marriage requires the strength and flexibility to adapt to these changes… and to keep falling in love anew as life unfolds over the years.

Romance novels typically celebrate the triumph of early-stage, idealistic love, but in From this Moment I wanted to try something a little different. I wanted to explore the qualities of an enduring relationship, with all the exuberant hope and heart-rending choices that sometimes come into play. Is the joyous infatuation of first love enough to sustain a lifelong commitment?

From this Moment features two distinct love stories: Romulus White is a charming womanizer who is secretly terrified of marriage, and for good reason. Then there is Evelyn and Clyde, whose early courtship was shown in the free novella Summer of Dreams. The main novel picks up ten years later with these three lifelong friends at a turning point in their lives. Clyde and Evelyn’s marriage is unravelling, and Romulus is about to meet his match in Stella West.

The two romances couldn’t be more different. While Evelyn and Clyde got married very young on an impulsive rush of infatuation, Romulus believes such feelings are dangerous, and avoids any woman who might rock his carefully won equilibrium. He and Stella ignite in a combustible mix of shared intellect, high-flying flirtation, and overwhelming attraction….precisely the sort of dazzling chemistry that terrifies Romulus. Meanwhile, Evelyn and Clyde are confronted with changes neither saw heading their way. It will either draw them closer together, or split them apart for good.

I loved the chance to explore the meaning of love, marriage, and enduring friendship in this novel. Sometimes we have to fight hard to keep falling in love with our spouse, and sometimes it seems to come effortlessly. I hope you will see plenty of both in From this Moment.

Beyond All Dreams Sneak Peek

Elizabeth Camden Musings on Life Leave a Comment

BeyondAllDreams_rd1.inddWant a sneak peek at Beyond All Dreams?  My next book arrives in stores exactly a week from today, and I’ve created a Pinterest page that has snapshots of some of the settings and characters from the book. You can see it here:  http://www.pinterest.com/elizabethcamden/beyond-all-dreams/

Cheers!

With Every Breath

Elizabeth Camden Musings on Life 3 Comments

Web newWith Every Breath

With Every Breath is a romance between former childhood rivals who meet again as adults, and join forces in a heroic campaign to find a cure for a deadly disease in the early 1890’s.  Dr. Trevor McDonough and Kate Livingston have a long history, and sparks immediately fly as their drastically different personalities bump against each other. Their story unfolds against a deeply emotional backdrop, but they each come to depend on the sparkling chemistry that flares to life whenever they see each other.

With Every Breath is a Top Pick from RT Book Reviews, and earned a stared review at Publisher’s Weekly.   It hits the stores today!

Grace of Monaco

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Grace of Monaco

Grace

I admit to loving a bit of royal gossip, but most movies based on royal marriages have been almost toe-curlingly bad. When I heard there was a movie about Grace Kelly in the works, I figured it would go down in flames like most other royal movies. Last year’s movie about Princess Diana, starring Naomi Watts, earned less than $65,000 in the United States and was pulled from theaters after the first weekend based on terrible critical and popular reviews.

But a movie with Nicole Kidman starring as Grace Kelly? Some of the supporting cast also looks first rate (Derek Jacobi, Frank Langella, and Parker Posey). The movie might also benefit from the historical distance with Princess Grace, which somehow makes her more suitable to carry a movie.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for this movie to do well, as I love a movie with a healthy dose of glamour and delicious European settings. It is set to be released March 14.