It Was a Wonderful Life

This film has haunted me since I saw it. The film explores the everyday realities of the working poor (and even the middle and upper middle class) who have slipped through the cracks and ended up the hidden homeless. It shows in brutal detail the reality of life in a car, where even showers (let alone work) are a difficult luxury to obtain. It was made in 1992 (during a recession), so I only wish there was an update since the real estate boom in California--and how it affected the women in this population.

The film also painstakingly depicts the flimsiness of bureaucratic programs/solutions to aid these women and those like them, as well as the ways that government policies actively antagonize these situations . Especially painful is the part on Section 8 housing subsidies--when one of the women calls to inquire and finds that not only are there no applications being accepted, but there is also a waiting list of 3+ years for those who have already applied. And the problem of finding a landlord who will accept the vouchers.

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the movie is that it did not seem that the filmmakers either 1) helped the women along, even though they were so obviously in need or 2) paid them for their participation. These are women who seem to be only a few hundred dollars or a security deposit away. And yet they are taking the time to participate in the film. I would assume that Jodie Foster and Melissa Etheridge were paid for their participation. It is not stated, but the summations of the women's situations at the end of the film seems to strongly suggest that they were left on their own again. Also, definitely get to the end of the credits for more information. Though it was made in 1992, I just wish there was some way I could reach out and help these women.

I highly recommend this film. It just stays with you.

I am Marjorie Bard, the author of the book "Shadow Women: Homeless Women's Survival Stores" (Sheed&Ward 1990/re-released in 2016 by Routledge) from which this doc was made. I understand the comments & questions by previous reviewers. The material is a time capsule; it is now 2017 and there are probably a million undetectable homeless women now roaming the U.S. The middle-class has diminished, job opportunities are tech driven, the COL is higher but wages do not match affordable housing, and domestic abuse is on the rise, causing more female homelessness and even less court-ordered support follow- up/collection. The focus on mental stability was prime in my book but the doc "swerved" to include depression (etc.), altering its purpose: encouraging self-sufficiency.(I have a 10-year e-doc on the web which outlines more advanced "solutions" to homelessness.) One woman's story would be a completely different type of doc!

The producers did not follow-up on their interviewees for 2 reasons: this was a single short project and all assistance would have been given by my nonprofit organization if I had not been ignored when their doc was completed.

I saw this film on cable about ten years ago and have been haunted by it ever since. I had tried to get a copy of this movie for years but very few existed and the ones that were for sale on Ebay usually went upwards of 100 dollars thanks to fervent Jodie Foster fans trying to complete their collections. A few months ago, the DVD copy was released and is now widely available at a reasonable price. I have been passing my copy around for all my friends to see and I highly recommend this movie to anyone with a social conscience; it is absolutely haunting. Although it is a sad topic, this movie does not bring you down. You find yourself drawn into the lives of these women and fascinated by their innovative ways of survival. Also, you must stick around for the closing credits to get the final story on one of the subjects. This film goes beyond the realm of "movies as entertainment".

"It Was A Wonderful Life" is a movie that could impact your perceptions and the way you live your life.

An excellent documentary; this struck a chord with me.

I live in the most expensive city in my state, an affluent left-leaning college town. There's much more education than jobs in the area (varied things, like an abundance of culture or the quality of the local schools, keep some in the area), and the homeless population is quite noticeable for a town of 50,000. I - and many people I know - are college-educated folks with reasonable-to-occasionally impressive resumes, who are working retail or waiting tables. We're a paycheck or an illness or an accident away from being where the folks in this documentary are.

IT WAS A WONDERFUL LIFE is remarkably well-made, with subtle cinematography that serves its' subjects well - no great art statements made visually, but this documentary doesn't need it. Instead, it unobtrusively gives the women who appear onscreen space to tell their stories - how they all ended up homeless. These women are educated, have experienced professional success and some semblance of security at some point, and are mostly descended from middle-class (or better) backgrounds. Their determination and self-awareness is striking, though - given the depressing familiarity of an ever-more-diverse homeless population - I wasn't as shocked as I felt that I should be.

Certain issues - depression, the common refuge of chemical dependance, the ever-present threats of violence - could've been dealt with in greater depth. Several themes are well-explored here however - if a viewer wasn't aware already that education, self-awareness, a ferocious work ethic and/or psychological toughness don't mean jack in and of themselves, it will be abundantly clear by the films' end. Morally, any individual (single, married, or otherwise) should - by this late date - know that depending on anyone else for security and survival is precarious even with a fat bank account, and potentially suicidal without. One woman (a law student) sums it all up effectively: "Never trust anyone. Especially a lawyer." This film visualizes all of the above in horrifying detail.

Equally disturbing is the revelation (from several of these women) that they never thought about homelessness until they became homeless. This info is rather casually offered; they don't exclude themselves from any of social apathy that is occasionally on display in IT WAS A WONDERFUL LIFE. They had it good until a bad investment, a lost lawsuit or a husband walked out (stiffing them for child support - the grueling fallout of this is shown in great, horrifying detail); one never views this as a problem deserving of thought and action until one has to move into their car, and then the true magnitude of how few safety nets exist (or function properly) becomes abundantly clear.

The women in this documentary impressed me - being homeless (or simply being poor) is an art, and it's a lot of work - this too becomes quite clear here. If there's an ulterior agenda, it should be noted that the women here defy most stereotypes of homelessness, personalizing the issue in terms that any cul-de-sac dweller would easily comprehend. These aren't the kind of cartoon down-and-outers easily written off by politicos, 'pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps' types, suburbanites, or any of us with an education and a resume (and the expectation of upward mobility and security) - the faces seen here look like people you know and love.

Which - in some ways - is the lone serious oversight here - the issue could've been brought home (in wrenching fashion) has the director included some individuals who were at another level of 'lost' - addicted, or mentally ill, and completely abandoned by the system (or who had dealt with bureaucracies and agencies, only to lose hope in absolute frustration). While such a film would be tough to watch, it would also be essential in understanding a problem that shouldn't exist.

As it is, IT WAS A WONDERFUL LIFE is a very powerful, moving document - gripping and informative - and I recommend it strongly.

This is a documentary about homeless women. It was interesting in the sense that this focused on women who are engaged socially - having jobs and lasting friendships - but are in situations where they can not afford housing.

I found some of the women covered to be interesting, but there was little focus or progression in the story. The direction and editing failed to maintain my attention. There were differences in the stories of these women, of course, but the message was essentially the same and could have been told by focusing on any one of them in more depth.

I made it to the end of the movie, but it was a rather boring journey.