Rating: 
Summary: Most deservedly a classic; some reflections
Review: Apparently, it was the well-known literati film critic Pauline Kael who once described It's a Wonderful Life as "doggerel masquerading as art." As a fairly keen film fan, I am sometimes grateful that there are critics who probe a little deeper and find questionable aspects in certain films that enjoy great popularity, especially in these days of the omnipresent Big Dumb Blockbuster Movie, but here I think she did Capra's classic a gross injustice. For those who are seeing it for the first time, as I finally did recently after missing it for years, IAWL is that true delight, a bona fide classic that, for most people, is actually capable of living up to its reputation. For from a purely cinematic and storytelling point of view, too, IAWL remains a most impressive achievement, and this surely has contributed much towards its lasting and universal appeal.The film is so well-known that any further comment on it may seem superfluous, but one of the main reasons why I find IAWL ultimately so successful is that unlike, say, Roberto Benigni's recent (and similarly titled and oriented) Life is Beautiful - to my mind, much overrated - IAWL's highly stylized story, beyond its own very obvious fantasy premise, always remains a relatively plausible one. Good, on closer examination it may still seem just a little improbable and contrived, and, for some tastes, perhaps a bit too sentimental at times, but that's not so critical here. For me, Benigni's film loses much of its impact because Benigni stretched credibility way too far in adapting and softening up its holocaust setting to meet the needs of his story. True, fans of Benigni's film argue that it was only meant as a fable anyway, and that is a valid point, but unfortunately the holocaust itself was no fable, and that leaves me seriously questioning the honesty and credibility of the film's message as indicated by its title. Capra's classic fable does not make such a mistake. Instead, it depicts the central protagonist, George Bailey, as a believable, sympathetic character in small-town America who has to suffer constant disappointment and loss throughout his life. His desire to end his life at the film's climax seems quite understandable: it seems that he has lost just about everything. From a storytelling point of view, the whole buildup to this climax, the depiction of George's life story, can be seen as a spectacular piece of risk-taking on Capra's part, since it is so long and drawn-out. The first half of the film can seem slow, but it is precisely the extreme length of this buildup, and the level of detail of George's life that it depicts, that makes the ultimate resolution of the story so unexpectedly powerful. For the still uninitiated, this means: stay with it. For by the time Clarence the angel finally appears, the viewer is intimately familiar with George's dilemma and can identify with it accordingly. George seems to have had a dull and uninspiring life, has never fulfilled his former dreams and ambitions, and now has a financial crisis on his hands, at Christmas of all times. And just when he's at his most down, he's been further humiliated by his arch-rival, the Scrooge-like Potter, socked on the jaw by his daughter's schoolteacher's husband, and, in his drunkenness, has rammed his car into a tree. Most perceptive; life can be just like that, sometimes the misfortunes pile up just when there's enough of them already. After indulging in often overt sentimentality earlier in the film, Capra depicts this ultimate crisis in George's life in a surprisingly chilling and dark fashion, adding still further to the overall impact. Anyone who thinks that the actors weren't really challenged by their material should reconsider in view of this part of the film - for example, the way James Stewart plays George's climactic breakdown in front of his family, and his later despair in the bar, is truly masterful. Stewart was a genuinely great actor. The genius of the film is then how Clarence (the most unlikely angel imaginable) is still able to turn George's (and the viewer's) perspective around, despite such a long, dark setup. Here, too, the alternative Bedford Falls "time line" (Pottersville) is both chilling and sure in its logic. Hence, when George finally realizes what would have become of his family, friends and acquaintances, and even his town had he never been, the effect is for both him and the viewer an unexpected and thrilling revelation. When he finally beams with joy at the end, both he and the viewer are appreciating his true riches in an entirely new light. Again, credit is especially due to James Stewart for portraying this so convincingly. Capra once said that he made this film not for critics, but for those he most admired. So, one might claim that IAWL is, like Benigni's Life is Beautiful, "not a film for the jaded," and yet its great strength is that it can, in fact, also speak so well to some of us who might otherwise be potentially skeptical about its message and make us think a little differently about things. (For me, as far as this aspect of the film is concerned, it wins over Benigni's film hands down.) As for the film's little unspoken messages ("you can only take with you what you've given away" and Clarence's final message to George that "you're never a failure if you have friends"): they speak for themselves. Incidentally, to a reader from Wakefield, MA, December 25, 1999: don't get the wrong idea about critic Leonard Maltin's comment about the film seeming to improve with age, he wasn't "incredulous" about that all. In fact, IAWL gets his maximum rating of four stars in his Movie and Video Guide (I wish Amazon would include his ratings in their listings), and of the 1970s TV remake, It Happened One Christmas, he says "[it] only shows how wonderful the Frank Capra original was - and is."
Rating:
Summary: One of my top 5 Best Movies of All Time
Review: This is without any doubt a superb classic. Jimmy Stewart & Donna Reed outstanding. The only fault I have is that most people think you only watch it around Christmastime. Sure, the snow scene is significant, but this is an excellent portrayal of the potential value of each person's life and can be watched anytime during the year.
Rating:
Summary: Warmth, love, family values. Good for all generations.
Review: A wonderful feel for family life. This is must watching every year, especially at Christmas. The love of man and wife, children, parents and community excel in this film about George Bailey (portrayed wonderfully by James Stewart) who gives up his long life dream of leaving this small town. He accepts rather grudgingly at first taking over the family based savings and loans. He marries Mary (played by Donna Reed) and they go through the ups and downs of raising a family. Despair sets in and George is forced to choose between living or dying. Clarence an angel who has to earn his wings,is sent to rescue George from despair. The spirit of family, friends and community is all intertwined to create a wonderful portrait of life and the American dream.
Rating:
Summary: What a Wonderful Movie!
Review: This video is something that is extra special to watch at Christmas, but wonderful so that it can be enjoyed all year long. It's the best...a classic!
Rating:
Summary: It's A Wonderful Life
Review: Amazon sent me a replacement copy of this on dvd. The previous copy was poorly encoded and the new one is fine. Thank you Amazon for your quick response and easy exchange.
Rating:
Summary: DVD earns its wings
Review: I'm sure you know the story, so I'll just talk about the DVD. Overall, the quality is an order of magnitude better than what you see on TV. I actually did an A-B comparison with a live broadcast (flipping back and forth every few seconds). The DVD is much brighter and sharper giving a more 3 dimensional image. There are a few spots where the digital processing added some artifacts in the form of a few white specks, but all in all its well done. you also get the original trailer ( no wonder it was not a big hit - the trailer totally missed the real story line) and 2 features talking about the making of & history of the movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Black & White Isn't "Too" Bland, Non?....
Review: In fact, the black & white setting suits "It's A Wonderful Life" as perfectly as technocolor would have for this Frank Sinatra-esque cult classic. James Stewart has this "Rocky & Bugsy"-era voice and a vigourous demeanor & Donna Reed is just brung in to play the hard-to-get young girl and the reserved wife. My focus refused to stay entact while watching this movie, but the ideas I did withdraw from this movie is that George Bailey (James Stewart) is caught in the tangled web of a financial scandal... and on the brink of suicide. That is... until a cliched assigned guardian angel appears out of the sky and falls in the waters of Bedford Falls... to save George (ironically). Before this happens, George is on a bridge contemplating (supposedly) suicide (due partially to a busted-lip from a brute in Martini's bar whose wife George insulted on the phone, heh heh), and when he sees Clarence (the "quote on quote"... angel), he jumps in after him and retrieves him. Henceforth, George rebuffs the idea of an angel and wishes he was never born, and granted... he was never born. And boy, does he take the in-your-face gruff reality of having no identity for a sham, but to his shagrin... it's as serious as a heart attack. George is a non-existent would-have-been making a futile attempt to spark some remembrance in his lost friends & family. Predictably, George repents and returns to existance... with a little (or lot of) monetary help from the whole town for his business trouble (whose lives apparently were impacted greatly by him somehow). Upon the saccharine conclusion (where George, his wife, & kid are basking in the solace of christmas communion), my eyes almost started to well-spring... I haven't the faintest idea why (I'm only 17). A nice retrospective on the golden age of Christmas classics. Somebody please make "It's A Wonderful Life 2000."
Rating:
Summary: A Classic...
Review: This is an old story of "be careful what you wish, for because you just might get it." Set during Christmas-time, George Bailey gets into a little financial trouble and wishes he had never been born and it actually happens. Then a guardian angel named Clarence rescues George after he jumps into the water and shows him that his life is worth living. Somehow, when George returns back to the real world, he recieves a lot of monetary help from the town, who somehow have been impacted by him. In the end, it's a picturesque moment, as we see George and his family in the Christmas spirit. "It's A Wonderful Life" will definately make you a little teary-eyed (just a little). With great acting by James Stewart and Donna Reed, this movie will forever stand as a black & white classic.
Rating:
Summary: PURE MAGIC
Review: Amazing that critics fail to understand the great appeal of this story. Leonard Maltin writes, as if incredulous, that the film "seems" to improve with age. ALL great stories improve with age. A great story, once experienced, becomes even more enjoyable through familiarity. The very knowledge of its ending creates in the viewer a wonderful sense of anticipation. The journey is always more enchanting the second time, or the third. It's a Wonderful Life is the rarest and most magical of experiences -- a universal premise, wonderful characters, great empathy, and a deeply optimistic view of the human condition.
Rating:
Summary: The Spirit of Christmas
Review: It's a Wonderful Life is a story that is almost "Anti-Scrooge." Here the "hero" is a fellow named George who chooses to do the right thing for the right reasons. Rather than being a selfish, old miser who has no family or friends, George is a young, bank owner who is surrounded by family and friends; and he is unselfish almost to a fault. Although his intentions are good, he always seems to come up with the short end of the stick. When push comes to shove, and his choices seem unbearable, he considers suicide. In his hour of need he is visited by an angel who shows him how his good actions made a difference in the lives of the people around him. Like scrooge, he faces his inner self. But where Scrooge needs to learn how to give, George needs to learn that the rewards of selfless giving far out-way the personal consequences. This is a sentimental story and maybe even a little predictable, but it reaches inside each of us to help us see that doing the right things for the right reasons is worth the consequences. It reminds us that although moral choices are difficult the impact has far reaching affects. This story, in a broader sense, helps us remember that the American dream is still about living in a country where we are free to choose for ourselves, and that it takes brave people like George to protect our rights to that freedom. This is a phenomenal story about the spirit of Christmas and selfless giving.
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