I see it as a movie about a local elite who reluctantly embraces his role because for reasons he doesn't entirely understand he gives a damn about the town and the people in it and learns "heavy lies the crown". The sort of elite who nowadays, like George wanted to do, fuck off to college and never return to their home town.

Maybe being a George Bailey is a thankless job, but without people like that all that's left is Blackrock, Citi, Bank of America, Chase, etc...

Another one of those Communist propaganda pieces that ends up having a lot of right-wing themes.