When $8,000 goes missing in 1945, George Bailey contemplates whether his friends and family would be better off without him. Clarence, an Angel-Second Class who hasn’t yet earned his wings, is assigned as George’s Guardian Angel. With only an hour to learn everything about George before being sent to Earth, Clarence watches George’s life unfold through a series of vignettes highlighting the most important points in his life. When Clarence arrives, George refuses the angel’s help and instead wishes he had never been born. Determined to help him, Clarence temporarily grants his request, and shows George what the world would be like without him. In disbelief, George tries to return to his life – only to discover the horrifying reality of a world without him. As George tries to grasp with this new terrifying reality, he finally learns the angel’s lesson and wishes his old life back.