The message of my favorite Christmas movie has never been more urgent

Robert Reich
December 25, 2025


James Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life. Picture: Screenshot

For me, the real lesson of Frank Capra’s delightful holiday film It’s a Wonderful Life was never as powerful as it is this year. That lesson: it’s our choice.

We can wallow in despair at the hell that Trump and his sycophants have created, as in the fictional “Pottersville.” Or we can actively and purposefully generate kindness and decency — as in “Bedford Falls.”

Today, I want to share with you a short video I did with my young and talented colleagues who somehow put me into “It’s a Wonderful Life.” (I’m hardly “starring,” as they entitled this video; they’ve given me a bit part).



Running time — 3 minutes, 52 seconds. Enjoy!


Robert Reich is a professor of public policy at Berkeley and former secretary of labor. His writings can be found at https://robertreich.substack.com/.

Robert Reich's new memoir, Coming Up Short, can be found wherever you buy books. You can also support local bookstores nationally by ordering the book at bookshop.org