Films can matter. And matter in a big way.
There are a few films that have mattered greatly to me personally over the years; none more than IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946).
For those unfamiliar with this film, it’s about a guy named George Bailey who since he was a boy has wanted desperately to leave his small hometown of Bedford Falls to do great things elsewhere far away but is confronted with a series of challenges that force him to decide whether to pursue those things or to stay and help those who need him there.
A pivotal scene in the film, at least for me, is a kitchen table conversation between George and his father, Peter Bailey, just before George was to leave for college (which would be his ticket for getting out). His father asks whether he would consider returning to Bedford Falls to work at the family-owned business. While George loves his father and doesn’t want to hurt his feelings, he feels if he doesn’t leave he’d “bust.” That’s when George speaks a line that I have adapted for the name of this consulting group (the group’s logo draws upon the moon George was going to “lasso” and pull down):
“I want to do something big, something important.”
Rather than being offended, Peter Bailey acknowledges George’s challenge and the reality that he might not be able to do things others in the world would consider “big” or “important” if he stays, but he also counsels there are still important things that can be done within “shabby little office(s)” in “crummy little town(s)” for those who need their help.
I relate to George Bailey, both the aspiring-for-something-bigger version and the version who recognizes the truth in what his father explained. And it has been insights from this film about finding meaning and identity that has helped me through some difficult periods in my life (including once in Boston far from home when I was fretting about being $8,000 in debt for graduate school – the same amount that would become central in George’s life – and not feeling particularly confident in my life direction).
That’s the power of films with great insight!
Unfortunately, I have found there are too few films released each year which would-be consumers, like me, can see that will leave them feeling and being genuinely better for having seen. Too little insight.
With bigger-budget studio films, substance can often get lost in spectacle, and efforts to invest in new stories that could have genuine impact get discouraged given the immense cost of production in favor of sequels and repackaged films that might be safer financial bets (Lang, 2017).
With smaller-budget independent films, significance can often get lost in style, with filmmakers focused on expressing their own personal voices and visions less constrained by financial demands that might call for broader appeal and impact (Blair, 2016).
My “something big and important”, at least professionally, is to brighten and better lives through research and stories of substance and significance, which would include to increase the number of impactful films like “It’s a Wonderful Life” out there by discovering human-centered insights upon which they can be developed.
Not only will such films grounded in great insights be more impactful, they tend to be more profitable. A topic we’ll get to in our next post…
References
Blair, I. (2016, April). How indies can survive and even thrive in a blockbuster world. Variety. Retrieved from https://variety.com
Lang, B. (2017, March). The reckoning: why the movie business is in big trouble. Variety. Retrieved from https://variety.com
Leticia Greenwood
August 28, 2020 7:46 pmHi Justin,
Excellent post!
Thank you for sharing the meaning behind your company “Something Big and Important.” We all can relate to George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life”: a sincere desire to make an impactful impression upon the world.
Over the years, I’ve learned that it’s the small everyday things that have been most impactful in my life. For example, the handwritten note to a friend, making a meal for a family, baking cookies with my daughters, and just being a loving person towards others. Those little acts of kindness leaves a lasting legacy that will reflect our character and priorities.
Justin B Poll
August 30, 2020 12:12 amThank you so much, Leticia!
I agree, often the small, kind acts in aggregate can make the most positive difference in others’ lives, which, I believe, was Peter Bailey’s point to George. While the name could seem grandiose, I like something big and important in thinking about what matters most to individuals, what the biggest and most important aspects in their lives are (i.e., their core needs), to then develop stories around those things.
I’ve also found most people want at least aspects or moments in their lives when they can do something extraordinary (e.g., complete a marathon or a screenplay). While, in sum, the accumulation of small acts matter most, those isolated larger acts matter quite a bit too.
Thanks again!
Justin
Lena SALA
September 3, 2020 8:20 pmhey Justin! It’s a wonderful Life is one of my favorite movies. I was really young when I first watched it. My dad really liked international movies (as we are french) and he told me that he wanted me to watch it. I remember I cried a few times during the movie because of how beautiful it was. It is an impactful movie, it does give more hope to those who need it.
Nowadays, i feel like content creators tend to search way too far when creating easy and impactful stories like this one is the best way to go sometimes.
Justin B Poll
September 6, 2020 3:35 amThank you for your comments, Lena! I still cry every time I watch IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, though the spots where I cry have changed over the years.