'It's A Wonderful Life'

"Are you real?"

(What George Bailey says to Mary when he returns home after his vision.)

My favorite scene is when George Bailey's spent the day looking for the $8,000 that Uncle Billy lost (or had stolen) while going to deposit it in the bank.

Distraught, knowing he could be imprisoned and lose everything, George goes home to his children and wife and bites their head off because he's so frustrated and desperate.

His youngest son pounces on George's lap and growls like a lion. After the second time, George in a fit of anxiety takes his young son in his arms and hugs him as tight as ever, as if it was the for last time.

Why this film is important and popular is scenes like that where the rawest of human emotions are exposed.

If you ever want to know what's it like to be a parent, check that scene out. That epitomizes parenthood.