It’s a Wonderful Christmas Village
As many of you who read thePS with any regularity know, each year I set up a Christmas Village
in my basement. The main part is a mini-tree that I’ve had since I was about 10 or so, but each
year the village gets a step up. It started with just Christmas ornaments that were broken, and
were also shaped like people (they were the people that lived in the village) but over the years
action figures and whatnot began moving into the town to take their Christmas vacations. You
may recall last year’s Christmas Village where I put the
toys/ornaments in re-enactments of scenes from Christmas specials. It was, at the time, the most
complicated I had made the village...
That is, until this year! This year I picked not only one scene from one of my favorite Christmas
movies (It’s A Wonderful Life) but I also picked one “medium” with which to create this scene.
Thus, I give you this year’s Christmas Village: the closing scene of It’s A Wonderful Life (you
know “To my big brother George - the richest man in town”) done entirely with Star Wars
figures! Enjoy!
There’s a shot of the whole thing. This is the first year since I started with this idea that the tree
has not been at the very centre of the village. Instead, it’s over on the side with the Bailey
family, while all his friends stand in his “living room.” But are ALL the important people there?
Damn straight they are!
Here’s the Bailey family at their table, while the donations just poor in. George is played by
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mary Bailey is C-3PO, and Zuzu is R2-D2. The money is all the lightsabers I
could find. Even the table is in on it! It’s one of those holo-communicators from Ep. I. It came
with one of my electronic banks. I dunno.
Here’s the guy that spoke the line I mentioned above - George’s little brother, Harry Bailey,
fresh out of the war. He saved all the men on that ship, and therefore has to be played by a
proper hero, so I picked Darth Vader. Vader rocks.
There’s the rest of the Bailey family. They’re not super important. Just George’s other kids
(played by young Anakin, Sebulba, Watto, a Jawa, and another R2) and Uncle Billy, as portrayed
by Yoda.
Grand Moff Tarkin, the Emperor, and Boba Fett are playing the bank-
examiners/press/investigators who came to arrest George for not having paid whatever the hell it
is that they have to pay at the end of the movie. Mortgage or something? I don’t actually
know...
Ah, Bert the cop (as played by an Imperial Royal Guard - makes sense, huh) and Ernie the taxi-
driver (as played by Han Solo - also makes sense, if you think about it) are easily the best of the
supporting cast characters. Plus, it made for an amusing moment on the original Christmas on
Sesame Street special. Good times. Though, I DO wish I had a small accordion for Bert. Oh
well.
Here’s some of the crappier supporting cast. Mace Windu is the former housekeeper of the
Baileys, Annie, Greedo as Mr. Martini, and Young Obi-Wan as Mr. Gower (the druggist). Yeah,
they don’t do too much after the first half-hour. Well, Gower is at the bar at the end, which has
a big impact on George. Go see it, dammit!
Of course, not all of George’s friends could be there in Bedford Falls. For example, his good
friend Sam Wainwright was in I think New York (though it might have been Chicago) running
his plastic factory and sleeping with numerous chicks. And who the hell fits the bill for that role
better than Lando Calrisian?! Nobody, that’s who!
Mr. Potter wasn’t there either, but that’s because everyone hates Potter, and Potter hates George,
so it would have been weird if he was there. I don’t know the name of Potter’s butler, but here
he’s played by Bib Fortuna. I picked Jabba for Potter cuz he can’t walk without assistance
either.
And finally, one of the most important characters of the whole movie - George’s guardian angel,
Clarence Oddbody. He’s the one who shows George that he truly had a wonderful life, afterall.
Here he’s watching over George’s shoulder, looking out for him, but mostly just to make sure
someone rings that damn bell so that he can get his wings. He waited too long to have someone
screw up now! Actually, Clarence is my favorite of the secondary characters, assuming he’s not
one of the primary ones.
So that’s the Christmas Village for this year. A bit different than every other year, but still fun
and Christmassy! Good times all around! So what will I do next year...?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.