It's a Wonderful Life

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It's a Wonderful Life

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It's a Wonderful Life

Argentina Brunetti, Beulah Bondi, Charles Lane, Donna Reed, Frank Faylen

George Bailey is a small-town man whose life seems so desperate he contemplates suicide. He had always wanted to leave Bedford Falls to see the world, but circumstances and his own good heart have led...( read more  read more... ) him to stay. He sacrificed his education for his brother's, kept the family-run savings and loan afloat, protected the town from the avarice of the greedy banker Mr. Potter, and married his childhood sweetheart. As he prepares to jump from a bridge, his guardian angel intercedes; showing him what life would have become for the residents of Bedford Falls is he had never lived.

Id: 10904616

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It's a Wonderful Life Recent Reviews

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It's a Wonderful Life Recent Reviews
  • irisheyes686
    January 4, 2010
    irisheyes686
    Good movie! It had humor, and it was just a fun movie to watch. The ending was adorable.
  • kiriyamakazou
    December 25, 2009
    kiriyamakazou
    As undeniable classic in every imaginable way. It's A Wonderful Life is the feel good Christmas movie above all others, despite the fact it paints a fairly depressing picture. It tells us not to take life for granted, and that we shouldn't be so selfish as to assume our life is f...( read more)or our own benefit. It clearly highlights how Jimmy Stewart's life has influenced all those around him. As his life takes a nosedive and his dreams go unfulfilled he begins to lose all hope. Other than the necessary schmaltzy ending, the film is well grounded in reality and avoids insincere sentiments. Capra's wonderful handling of the material make this a surprisingly gripping film, one that may climax at Christmas, but can be watched anytime of year.
  • AgentLexi2132
    December 9, 2009
    AgentLexi2132
    ''You see George, you've really had a wonderful life. Don't you see what a mistake it would be to just throw it away?''

    An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed.

    James Stewart<...( read more)/b>: George Bailey

    Truly one of the finest films ever made. It's message still resonates as if 1946 was yesterday. It's central themes of love, appreciation, loyalty, and sacrifice are valuable reminders any time of year; This isn't just a Christmas film! This is a complex story about life itself and the importance of giving!
    Like many other Christmas-themed stories, this one reminds us to pause for a moment and take in our surroundings. It is unfortunate that such films are expected to be only celebrated once a year, but that particular trait also adds a certain degree of rarity to its charm and appeal. The characters are well-developed and whether loved or hated; each plays a vital role in the film; as in George Bailey's life.
    Director Frank Capra has simply put a masterpiece onto celluloid here; and that is quite a feat for a holiday niche film. Never dull, always heartwarming, funny, and true, It's a Wonderful Life is truly one of cinema's shining achievements.
    If you have a chance, watch both the Colour and Black & White Versions. Alot of work has gone into restoring and preserving the film; equally adding colour shows how perfect this film truly is.

    Sure there is the whole cliche of seeing the world as though you have never existed; the waking up to show how important life is to so many. It's a rendition of Dickens yet spun in a way that makes it original. The entire film could have run with the gimmick and created a complete story from it; as numerous reinterpretations have done. Instead the filmmakers have started us at the end, a tragedy has occurred and a man's faith in life is taking a diminishing blow. Prayers have been sent above and the Gods have decided to send down an angel to help our hero out of his predicament. Well this angel knows nothing about George Bailey; so for the first three quarters of the movie we go along for the ride to catch up on the life of this great man, just as our angel Clarence does the same. We are shown the life of a man who has given the whole of his being for those around him. With not a selfish bone in his physical frame, George continues to sacrifice his happiness for the joy to see his friends jubilant. Through his good deeds, he eventually wakes up to the treasures of life that have been in front of him the whole time and really takes a small town from the Depression to a bonding, successful society. It is almost a strain to consider he could be in so much trouble that he would be contemplating suicide, but once again we see his caring nature come through in that trying, desperate moment. When the story finally catches up to itself we learn that the predicament he is in is actually one of another that he has taken responsibility for in order to see if he can't solve the town's problems again.

    James Stewart is a revelation here. The self-deprecating nature is prevalent at all times, and the intellect his character retains balances nicely with his humour and good nature. Stewart is George Bailey, as the role fully encompasses his being. Every nuance of emotion is etched to his face as he goes from wide-eyed explorer to smitten lover, responsible adult, compassionate son and brother, loving husband and father, beaten failure, and finally redeemed hero and friend to all men and women he has ever come across. Of course what hero can exist without a nemesis of equal power whose immense strength comes from evil? Here we have the loathed Mr. Potter played brilliantly by Lionel Barrymore. I don't think anyone who has ever seen this film can have any real compassion for this man who is truly a scrooge to all. People are numbers and figures to him, which need to be conquered and claimed as his own. Barrymore is despicably slimy and true to his character at all times. There must also be mention of the beautiful Donna Reed as our protagonist's love interest. Her striking beauty and self-assuredness shows why George Bailey could be so taken by her, always getting distracted away from his dreams of leaving Bedford Falls. The sexual tension between Reed and Stewart throughout begins humourously at a dance and after when drenched with water and culminates in a serious and real moment as the love takes over during a phone conversation with an old friend. The relationship is believable from start to finish; portrayed even by the young actors who played their roles as children.

    True there is a segmented population during Christmas time containing those whom watch A Christmas Story, those with a love for Christmas Vacation, and those championing It's a Wonderful Life among many others. I must say that I have been converted to Capra's classic film and would have no problem watching it not just every Christmas but every holiday, for the rest of my life. The story means alot of things to many people and has been remade countless times in many forms, (there are chunks of time here which show how even Back to the Future II is copying it's paradoxical story at one point). If you want a perfectly written and acted tale of the joy of giving and the strength of friendship to help show the true meaning of Christmas, look no further than this diamond that has endured for over 60 years.

    Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends.
  • hypathio7
    October 8, 2009
    hypathio7
    A classic Christmas movie, but the story isn't really about Christmas. A performance where Jimmy Stewart get to show some range. Through desperation his character considers ending his life, and then through desperation for his family and friends, the life he "lost," he learns a...( read more)n important lesson. Also, before The Graduate, plastics were still the wave of the future. And it looks forward to financial issues still with us today. Mr. Potter represents the bank that controls most of George Bailey's small town. Potter keeps the workers in his slums and tries to ruin the Building and Loan every chance he gets, since the Baileys are too free with giving houses to the poor. The bottom line for Potter is how to make a profit and be a good businessman, meaning a predatory businessman.
  • flutieman07
    September 24, 2009
    flutieman07
    How I made it to this point in my life having never seen this movie, I'll never understand...I'm just glad to finally have taken the plunge and actually watched it.
  • crashly
    January 1, 2010
    crashly
    Classic. Beautiful. Well Done. Watch it every Christmas. James Stewart was such an incredible actor!
  • TnaB
    December 29, 2009
    TnaB
    Never get tired of it.
  • eh4ever2000
    December 29, 2009
    eh4ever2000
    IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is a wonderful movie. Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed have fantastic chemisty, its like they were born to play their parts. The story line is terrific, the dialogue is memorable at times, and Frank Capra's direction make this a holiday favorite and a classic. C...( read more)hristmas wouldn't seem to be the same, if this movie wasn't playing every Christmas eve. I never tire seeing this movie.
  • jmg5063
    December 27, 2009
    jmg5063
    Stays interesting even though it's such an old movie. I was expecting more of a Christmas feel to it though.
  • moviegirl50
    December 26, 2009
    moviegirl50
    "I wish I had a million dollars--HOTDOG!" How can you not LOVE this one?! It makes you realize your life really can count! On "My 5 Star Family Features", "I Cry Everytime" & "Movies I Like To Watch Around Christmas Time" lists. VHS.
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