This Christmas, in addition to putting presents beneath a glowing tree, why not give your family the gift of your presence with them before a glowing screen. No, not to watch an action movie or binge a Netflix show or simply pass the time. Watch, and discuss, with them a classic Hollywood film that was made to entertain and edify parents and children alike but that does not shy away from struggle, heartache, and pain.
Particularly, since we live in troubled and confusing times, select films that can speak to our unique historical moment with the kind of maturity, wisdom, and clarity too often lacking in modern Hollywood fare. Thankfully, the Golden Age of the 1930s and 40s produced hundreds of such films. Among those, many of the best were directed by a Sicilian immigrant who understood the fullness of the American dream—with all its joys and sorrows, successes and failures—better than any politician living today: Frank Capra.
See the full article by Louis Markos, December 19, 2022