[NathanR]

This is from one of your previous posts:
Then within the year, my social-studies teacher actually played this very movie in class, ostensibly because he could tie in the "savings&loan crisis" with the building & loan in the movie! LOL Anyway I was rather astonished, because again, this was a RARE movie.
I believe that according to Post Modern Theory, it does not matter what the author meant. What matters is what the reader (or watcher) sees. Apparently, your teacher saw politics in the movie. I expect others did too.

[Borges]

I believe that according to Post Modern Theory, it does not matter what the author meant.

It matters it's just not the Last Word. And this goes back before Post Modern Theory. It's more then Southern Agrarians. A group of rather conservative American literary critics. It's perfectly reasonable as well.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Well, as I said, he was tying in the B&L troubles in the movie with S&L scandals in the news. Kind of precarious, because George Bailey wasn't being corrupt (although tempted), just having troubles with the economy. Meanwhile S&L leaders were double-dealing. My teacher didn't mean to make out Bailey to be bad. Just that it is a rather poor tie-in - but I think he used it as an excuse so he could have a movie day before Christmas.