He Who Has Friends

It’s the holiday season, which in my family means replaying It’s a Wonderful Life, that Christmas classic with Jimmy Stewart.

I used to teach the short story on which its based, way back in my middle-school classroom days. It’s interesting to me that if I refer to "The Greatest Gift,” by Philip Van Doren Stern, most folks don’t realize I’m talking about the story on which the movie is based, but if I say “No man is a failure who has friends,” every single person in the room will know exactly what movie the quote comes from.


Too often we allow a bit too much of George Bailey to come out in us. I’m thinking of all the times I passed the broken banisters in my life and grumbled about not having all I deserved. I’m thinking about all the times the “draftiness” of the house got on my nerves and I wallowed in the pleasure of self-pity. It’s easy for us to get bogged down in the daily negatives, isn’t it? But then fate has a way of bringing us back to focus, if we allow her access.

Just last week, I had a meeting in New York with a very important group of very generous folks who are doing a very big post-production job for us next month (more about that later.) When the nuts and bolts of the job became clear, and I realized at the same time the value of the work they are donating to us, I felt like crying. I did, actually. (Making everyone just a tad uncomfortable. Sorry.)

Here’s the bottom line – when you’ve got friends, and people who are eager to do things for you while expecting little to nothing in return, it’s a reflection on how you’ve lived your life. It’s karma coming back, and it makes you realize just how wonderful, how beautiful, life really is, when you have friends. George Bailey helped out his friends when they needed it, and when he finally needed that favor, he didn’t even need to call it in. They came running.

So let’s talk in detail about some of these folks who’ve come running for us… the greatest gifts we’ve received while on this journey of filmmaking, as we round the corner into the home stretch.

And the next time I complain about the drafty house, someone please point me to “The Team” page here. Thanks in advance.

Sharon