George Bailey (James Stewart) just wanted to travel the world but fell in love, had a family and concentrated on managing the towns bank instead. When a run on the bank starts he feels his life is over and on Christmas Eve, it takes his guardian angel to bring him back from the brink of despair and see his life as it really is. Nominated and winner of four Oscars this film is definitely one your family will want to watch every Christmas. Undoubtedly, it's a wonderful life is one of the best feel good films of all time. Hollywood's best-loved star teams up with America's... favourite director to create one of the world's most popular films. [show more]
"It's a Wonderful Life", everyone's favourite saccharine Christmas film, but why? We are confronted by a man, George Bailey, who cries, on Christmas Eve no less, "It would be better if I was never born!", and contemplates suicide. Then we witness, with him, courtesy of his guardian angel all of the good, self-less acts he has committed during his life, starting with saving his brother from drowning and including saving the town from the evil Mr. Potter, who has now brought ruin to our friend. The film is simplistic, sentimental and squeaky clean. Which is fine for a family film usually aired at Christmas. But its characters are poorly realised and two dimensional, as are the relationships between them, Bailey and his childhood sweetheart. Really it is a portrait of how people, particularly Americans, would like to be, be seen, and see each other. For all that it is well-crafted, entertaining, a classic of sorts and much-loved. I know why some people love it, but would never call it a great film myself.
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