Frank Capra's 1946 Christmas classic, one of the great feel-good movies, with Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey. A small-town fellow...
Frank Capra's 1946 Christmas classic, one of the great feel-good movies, with Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey. A small-town fellow who sees his life as a failure, George contemplates suicide. He's always wanted to leave Bedford Falls to see the world, but circumstances have led 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 a greedy banker, and married his childhood sweetheart. As he prepares to jump from a bridge, his guardian angel (Henry Travers) intercedes to show him what life would have become for the residents of Bedford Falls if he'd never lived.
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94 %97 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® rating
95 %219,896 reviewsAudience score rating
"The April-air wholesomeness and humanism of this natural bring back vividly the reminder that, essentially, the screen best offers unselfconscious, forthright entertainment."
Variety"As the hero, Mr. Stewart does a warmly appealing job, indicating that he has grown in spiritual stature as well as in talent during the years he was in the war. And Donna Reed is remarkably poised and gracious as his adoring sweet-heart and wife."
The New York Times"What is remarkable about It's a Wonderful Life is how well it holds up over the years; it's one of those ageless movies, like Casablanca or The Third Man, that improves with age."
Roger Ebert"Achieves a fine balancing act between pathos and feel-good that is delivered by an outstanding cast. Even the minor parts are populated by some of the finest character actors and it produces a movie of timeless quality and relevance."
BBCIt's a Wonderful Life | Details
- Runtime
- 118
- Genre
- Drama, Fantasy, Romance
- Country of origin
- USA
