The one movie Dwayne Johnson can watch over and over: “One of my favourite movies of all time”
For a hulking man like Dwayne Johnson and a penchant for blockbuster leading roles, his all-time favourite film is a glaring contrast.
Behind his tough-guy exterior, honed through his time as a wrestling icon, Johnson actually has a soft spot for an emotional festive classic. It might be a far cry from Fast and Furious or Black Adam, but It’s A Wonderful Life is for playing over and over again.
Christmas sets us on the nostalgia wagon, rewatching familiar films every time you feel for warm and cosy cheer to counter the chill in the air. The festive period makes it the perfect time to watch old favourites, and for many, It’s A Wonderful Life is their most-played feature.
A beacon of Frank Capra’s ability to meld disparate themes, the director brought us a whimsical Christmas movie, casting James Stewart as a suicidal man who is rescued from his dire emotional state by a guardian angel. Capra had initially risen to prominence with the romantic comedy It Happened One Night, a stunning screwball take on the genre, balancing humour with compelling storytelling. Following up with some more classic feathers in his hat, such as Mr Smith Goes to Washington, he turned his attention to Yuletide.
Played by Henry Travers, angel Clarence Odbody, exposes Stewart’s George Bailey to the times in his life where he helped others, often at the expense of himself, thus highlighting his inherent worth, which he seemed to have lost along the way. It’s a touching story that some might call too sentimental, but at its core is a universal message proclaiming the true meaning of existence and helping others. What more could you want at Christmas?
Clarence even takes George to an alternative world where he never existed, subsequently showing him how so many people in his life would be worse off: his brother dead, and a local businessman in jail, among other things. The film captures what it means to embody the butterfly effect, where even small decisions taken off-handedly have the impact to change, if not the world at large, but at least those around you. Stories with a strong sense of morality often divide audiences in their preachy outlook, but It’s A Wonderful Life continues a widely beloved classic all these decades later.
‘The Rock’, in an interview with Turner Classic Movies, revealed just how much he loves Capra’s masterpiece, calling it “one of my favourite movies of all time”. He revealed the comfort he feels, noting, “I watch it every year, certainly around Christmas time, but I also watch it throughout the year, too.”
He called himself “a big, big fan of that movie”, musing, “When you think about the rich history behind the movie, and how challenging it was to get that movie made, I’m not quite too sure if the studio at the time felt that that movie was worth the investment, which was wild, considering how incredible that movie was.”
While monikered as a difficult-to-destroy natural element and a fan of helming franchise films, when it comes to sitting down for a movie night, it seems this charming 1946 vehicle is his ultimate go-to, no doubt reminding him of simpler days and a break from the explosions.
