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Show WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4 - DIXIESUNNEINS.COM 24 6, -- 1 Chaos MCCLAIN BY ALEXIS , Chtlisimts time inirlinp,; 1 AMcclainDSN Ever since I can re.- ,. ber, the , , ;' ' - , day season has ' - - , I , spend my time as a minor. That agreement stated I 3 . I , , , k , I - - , s- - I, , i - 4 i ,- - .., -Z ' ir , i ;, ....' , ...., .,, I , 1 ,", o t , 1 - , Every year for Christmas Eve my mother would set out one present for me to open; I would then receive the rest the next day or later that week. On the other hand, Christmas Eve has never really had any sort of importance for my father. One year we even celebrated Christmas the day before because we were both too antsy to wait. I've never had a Christmas with both parents present, but that d'oesn't make my holiday season any less memorable or family oriented. our home, we had a small nativity on top of our entertainment set. Christmas at my father's home varied every year. One year we made a short drive up to the mountains to go sledding in the snow. Another year we visited the Riverside Mission Inn Christmas lights. This separation of holiday rituals has given me a split view about what the holidays are and how they should be celebrated. Another difference is the relevance of Christmas Eve. knick-knac- j ICk m would spend every other year with either my mother or father on Christmas day. One year I'd spend Christmas Eve with my mother and Christmas day with my father, and the next year vice versa. Imagine being told where to go each year and not being able to have much of a voice; that's what I dealt with. Being raised in a Christian-base- d home, my typical holiday with my mother was centered around Jesus Christ. Along with a Christmas tree in and several , , - been celebrated separately within my small family. Sometime before entering into kindergarten, my parents divorced and have lived their F separate lives ever since. c From that divorce came a o parenting plan, also known z as a custody and visitation agreement, which dictated who, what and where I would o - - 1' mem- , ' JONNY Sometimes both sides of my family would gather together for a giant Christmas celebration. Those gatherings are the ones I treasure most because it's a chance to catch up with loved ones. I enjoy the short intimate time I've had with each parent, even ill didn't see one parent or the other during that holiday season. Now that Jam older I can pick and choose when I spend Christmas with which parent, which can put in a bit of a predicament most times, consid AT THE Igagioradvattaiiptitierataiwipiaimeib Eva, In OO ering each parent plans evet that usually involve me. Sometimes it can be diffici going through the holidays because I can't choose whic: parent has priority; I love them both equally. Finding balance can be difficult because disappointing a parent can easily be done with one decision. Although stress can be burdensome, Christmas time is truly my favorite time of year because its a chance for me to actually spend qualit) time with my parents. ' E aim gramoolo gnome ,. 'It's a wonderful life' withstands test of timeL , f 1 LETTERS TO ( i THE EDITOR , Send letters to the editor to DixieSundixie.edu. Letters to the editor are accepted and may be published in the newspaper andor dixiesunnews.com. The guidelines for letters are as follows: ,ti published. Letters should be submitted to dixiesundixie.edu in the body of the email, not an attachment. Letters become property of Dixie Sun News and may be published in any format. Dixie Sun News encour- ages a lively discussion on its website among its readers. Dixie Sun News does not edit comments. However, an editor will not post any comments that are libelous or vulgar. HOLLAND 9 'prippyjedi ,, ,N ,',, '' example of filmmaking techniques that have long since been modified, or improved, especially in terms of cinematography and pacing. The camera doesn't move. There is no zooming in on an actor, nor is there any panning. Most of the shots in the film are static shots with the camera in a fixed position. In one scene where the main George Bailey character of the film is about to sit at the table for dinner, the lamp hanging from the ceiling is blocking his face as he begins to ,,, ri, ') , 1, I "It's A Wonderful Life" - turned 70 in 2016, rereleased on DVD and Blu Ray for its 70th anniversary, and is regularly aired during the holidays. The film has become a traditional Christmas movie much like "A Christmas Carol" has, and though that may be true, I have often wondered what has made "It's A Wonderful Life" stand the test of time. It was originally re- leased in 1946 and to my major. Letters are subject to editing for length, style and Letters consisting of inaccurate, libelous or highly offensive content will not be A ; , n. grammar. N - ; raw,.. say something, which he finishes as he sits down. If the film were redone today, this scene would be shot with multiple cameras set up at different positions semialong a all so that circle, angles of the scene could be captured, avoiding the problem of an actor's face being blocked by a piece of the set. d Unlike today's camera and work, editing the pacing of the film is slow and each scene is played out in front of the camera with barely any transition to other shots, except in scenes where a close-u- p adds to the drama of the scene, or a change in scenery. However, both of these issues are attributed to of single of single knowledge, has never been remade or updated, though it has been remastered for high definition, and there is a colorized version. The film is old an JONN ' Submissions should be no longer than 250 words and must be Writers must include name, phone number and email address. Students should also include year in school, hometown and well-writte- .,,,, - AP i - - ' 180-degr- fast-pace- ' .,. L.,' S , i;''..f. 41k 'I' , , X, - , 't b . , t.' , non-rota- ,!' , ) ' t ) ,, tt , o 0 , - Q , .,,o, 4 Vi ;4 ' ' '.' V r. 514 m m . lk:i:', 'i, - s ,,,,,,,. , ' N't .,,. . Y ,i7:,' , ', , i ' , '1- ' ) ' E, i i ., , ' , , 1 . ";',:',:', . , 4 ', 2i , ,', , e ,, sd , i. --. 7,s,s, L .1 I 1. N , I- ' 2 , P. ,, ' . , 7' ', '.": - ,', .r,2,, 't , c' ,' , :,,,,,i,,,k, , -Hr, 2 i ' ,... , V. 3,9.,1.: Jr - '' ...., l' . .. ' ' ,' ... J . ., ' '", '.Vt El z 0 't r . great-grandpare- . , t multi-came- ee , camera shooting, which was a practice dating back to the 1890's when motion pictures were first invented and lasting until 1951 when an episode of "I Love Lucy" became the first film. While I watched the movie on my TV, I thought those things added to the nostalgia of watching a film that our parents, grandparents and would have grown up with or seen in the movie theater. Clearly, my perception of the film being outdated was changing, and I began to get a sense of why this movie is loved by multiple generations of people. I felt as though I were peering into a time capsule, experiencing through my vision, what life must haye been like during the early part of the 20th century from the phones to cars that are now 100 years old. There is even a scene which takes place in 1914, and a horse carriage is seen transporting the miserly bank owner Mr. Potter to his office at the bank in the town of Bedford Falls. Seeing life as it was in decades past is only a fraction of the films relevance. It is the story that brings all these elements together, creating the vast appeal that "It's A Wonderful Life" has and changing my perception of the film. - I ,i J I , , r,s N , ,. ' , , , , ,,...'.. ' George Bailey is overjoyed to see his family after his ordeal. much his life is worth. -,- , In ' . i . the movie , , - '' '''''' .' Bailey is reminded of how ry ra The tale tells of George Bailey, the chief secretary of Bailey Brother's Building and Loan, who spent life thinking of others mih than himself, despite his Ul . desire since youth to leave Bedford Falls and see the world. We see him in a po tion we all find ourselvest at one point or another: bre ken down, disillusioned, the end of our rope, and,ne knowing where to go next. We watch as he makes decision to end his life, yet at that precise moment before he jumps to his denais he instinctively forgets himself when another man falls in the river below. AS at th3 reward, George is given tiu gift of seeing how different the world would be without him in it. Therein lies the treasure that makes this film so beloved and humbled by this would-b- e critic. The message that, like George, we all lose sight of the meaning in our lives, and if foil moment, we could see and know the good we do and the difference our existenc makes as George does film, we would not want leave it. We would instead chCfiSh every moment, every bread every person we love and who loves us. Not just dill ing Christmas, but every day we have in this. wondet ful life. le i M - Woi D( DE Wor Poi uni, DE tV1( Poi Uni) DE |