It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Average Rating: 8.8/10
Reviews Counted: 60
Fresh: 56 | Rotten: 4
The holiday classic to define all holiday classics, It's a Wonderful Life is one of a handful of films worth an annual viewing.
Average Rating: 8.3/10
Critic Reviews: 9
Fresh: 8 | Rotten: 1
The holiday classic to define all holiday classics, It's a Wonderful Life is one of a handful of films worth an annual viewing.
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Average Rating: 4/5
User Ratings: 186,369
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Movie Info
This is director Frank Capra's classic bittersweet comedy/drama about George Bailey (James Stewart), the eternally-in-debt guiding force of a bank in the typical American small town of Bedford Falls. As the film opens, it's Christmas Eve, 1946, and George, who has long considered himself a failure, faces financial ruin and arrest and is seriously contemplating suicide. High above Bedford Falls, two celestial voices discuss Bailey's dilemma and decide to send down eternally bumbling angel
Dec 25, 1946 Wide
Sep 19, 1995
Liberty Films
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Cast
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James Stewart
George Bailey -
Donna Reed
Mary Hatch Bailey -
Lionel Barrymore
Mr. Potter -
Thomas Mitchell
Uncle Billy -
Henry Travers
Clarence -
Beulah Bondi
Mrs. Bailey -
Ward Bond
Bert -
Carol Coomes
Janie Bailey -
William Edmunds
Mr. Martini -
Gloria Grahame
Violet Bick -
Sarah Edwards
Mrs. Hatch -
Argentina Brunetti
Mrs. Martini -
Frank Faylen
Ernie -
Jean Gale
Mary (younger) -
Karolyn Grimes
Zuzu Bailey -
Frank S. Hagney
Potter's Bodyguard -
Jim Hawkins
Tommy Bailey -
Samuel S. Hinds
Pa Bailey -
Todd Karns
Harry Bailey -
Sheldon Leonard
Nick -
Virginia Patton
Ruth Dakin -
Ronnie Ralph
Sam (younger) -
Lillian Randolph
Annie -
Larry Simms
Pete Bailey -
Mary Treen
Cousin Tilly -
H.B. Warner
Mr. Gower -
Charles Williams
Cousin Eustace -
Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer
Othello -
Frank Albertson
Sam Wainwright -
Stanley Andrews
Mr. Welch -
Al Bridge
Sheriff -
Marian Carr
Mrs. Wainwright -
-
Harry V. Cheshire
Dr. Campbell -
Ellen Corby
Miss Davis -
-
Tom Fadden
Tollhouse keeper -
Eddie Fetherstone
Bank Teller -
Charles Halton
Bank Examiner -
Harry Holman
High School Principal -
Edward Keane
Tom -
Harold Landon
Marty Hatch -
John Farrell MacDonald
House Owner -
-
Danny Mummert
Marty Hatch (younger) -
George Nokes
Little Harry Bailey -
Garry Owen
Bill poster -
Almira Sessions
Potter's secretary -
Ray Walker
Joe at Luggage Shop -
Charles Lane
Real Estate Salesman -
-
Bob Scott
Mickey -
Bob Anderson
George as a Child
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All Critics (60) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (65) | Rotten (4) | DVD (32)
It's a Wonderful Life is about hunger. It's about greed. It's about the many ways a good man is stymied. Finally, it's about George Bailey, whose decency prevents him even from killing himself.
Capra is an old-time movie craftsman, the master of every trick in the bag, and in many ways he is more at home with the medium than any other Hollywood director. But all of his details give the impression of contrived effect.
It's a Wonderful Life is a pretty wonderful movie.
Top CriticThe epiphany of movie sentiment and a transcendent experience.
The April-air wholesomeness and humanism of this natural bring back vividly the reminder that, essentially, the screen best offers unselfconscious, forthright entertainment.
Regardless of whether or not you believe in angels, it's a wonderful movie.
This is the all-time great, curl-up-on-the-sofa-with-a-cup-of-tea movie. Not only is it beautifully photographed, but it also contains enough emotional strength to hold your attention for all of its two-hour running time.
I wasn't able to get reasonably straight about it for quite a while. I still think it has a good deal of charm and quality, enough natural talent involved in it to make ten pictures ten times as good, and terrific vitality or, rather, vigor.
Frank Capra's unlikely, uplifting paean to the pitfalls and pleasures of a simple, small-town existence remains a vital work and Paramount has done a respectable job transferring it to Blu-ray.
This classic delivers warmth all year long.
Is the movie corny? Often. Is it moving in the most basic, moral way? Every year we watch it.
One could use It's a Wonderful Life to teach their children values: compassion, selflessness, loyalty, and self-respect.
A great American-ization of the classic Scrooge tale, told from the POV of Bob Cratchet.
I understand the concern some people may have about buying a high-definition edition of an old B&W film. I can say without hesitation, I'd do it. (Blu-ray Collector's Edition)
Raise your hand if you think 'It's A Wonderful Life' is mushy, sentimental, over-praised hokum. Now, go to your room. Both of you.
If you can separate - or rescue - It's a Wonderful Life from its niche as a Christmas classic, you might discover a film that swings wildly from noirlike starkness to saccharine bathos.
A genuine American classic.
You'd have to possess a very hard heart not to find something to love in this story.
It ain't just hype; it really is a true holiday classic.
Capra's film should be freed from its syrupy holiday status, but, like Clarence the angel, this mostly recycled Collector's Set lacks wings.
Without overlooking its lapses into populist bathos, it's necessary to rescue It's a Wonderful Life from its spot at the centerpiece of untouchable American "classics."
George Bailey and Bedford Falls never looked so good!
Audience Reviews for It's a Wonderful Life
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- George Bailey: Am I talking too much?
- House Owner: Yes! Why don't you kiss her instead of talking her to death?
- George Bailey: How's that?
- House Owner: I said why don't you kiss her instead of talking her to death?
- George Bailey: ...You want me to kiss her, huh?
- House Owner: Oh, youth is wasted on the wrong people!
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- George Bailey: I don't have your money. It's in Tom's house... and Fred's house.
-
- Zuzu Bailey: Teacher says, 'Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.'
-
- Uncle Billy: They did it, they did it, George, they voted Potter down. And they only had one condition, and that's the best part. They want you to run the Building and Loan.
- George Bailey: No, no, this is my last chance to get away from here. Harry Bailey is your man, he will run the Building and Loan.
- Uncle Billy: But George, they'll vote with Potter otherwise...
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- George Bailey: My mouth's bleeding, Bert! My mouth's bleedin'!
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- Clarence: [to George] Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?
Discussion Forum
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|---|---|---|
| Bird and squirrel | 4 months ago | 0 |
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Foreign Titles
- Ist das Leben nicht schön (DE)
- It's a Wonderful Life (musical) (UK)

