The Greatest Gift was written in 1943 and published in 1944 by author Philip Van Doren Stern. It tells the story of George Pratt, a depressed man who considers suicide. George makes a plan to commit the act and makes his way to a bridge. However, before he can jump, a man stops him. That man also grants George a wish: to never have been born.
George then experiences what everyone else's life around him would have been like had he not been born. He never would have had the opportunity, for example, to save his brother from drowning. After witnessing horrible things, George then returns to the bridge and begs the man who he encountered to get his life back. The man agrees and gives George his life back.
The Greatest Gift became the basis for the 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life, which was directed by James Capra and stars James Stewart in the role of George Bailey. When it was released in 1946, the film received middling reviews. However, the film has since been reappraised and is now considered one of the 100 best films ever. Not only that, It's a Wonderful Life is a classic Christmas film that many make a tradition out of watching every year.
