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It's a Wonderful Life

1946

Frank Capra

James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell ...

8.2

54,927

Drama. Fantasy A good but slightly ineffectual man tries to off himself after an error that really wasnt his fault. In Christmas carol fashion, his crusty-but-lovable guardian angel shows up to give him a tour of the world without his presence, and it isnt a pretty place. Moral courage, small-town American life, civic cooperation, and family love are glorified; corporate greed and self-involvement are vilified; at the climax, a blanket of snow like ... [+]

	Author	Review
United States	Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"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 (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Michael Wilmington Chicago Tribune	"The most well-loved of all Christmas movies"	POS
United States	Bert Briller Variety	"Stewart touches the thespic peak of his career (...) Capra brought back to 'Life' all his oldtime craft, delicate devotion to detail and character delineation as well as his sure-footed feeling for true dramatic impact"	POS
United Kingdom	Andrew Gilchrist The Guardian	"It’s frequently wrongheaded and desperately overlong (...) [It] isn’t the longest film ever made but it sometimes feels like it"	NEG
United Kingdom	Angie Errigo Empire	"The kind of experience movies were invented for... James Stewart's journey to despair and back warms the cockles like nothing else (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Jack D. Grant The Hollywood Reporter	"Everyone who sees it will agree that it's wonderful entertainment (...) When Capra is at his best, no one can top him."	POS
United Kingdom	Marc Lee Telegraph	"Inspirational and thoroughly festive (...) Essential to its extraordinary enduring power is the towering presence of James Stewart"	POS
United States	Lily Rothman Time	"The skilled balance of fantasy, sentimentality and quality made the movie stand out"	POS
United Kingdom	Almar Haflidason BBC	"'It's a Wonderful Life' achieves a fine balancing act between pathos and feel-good that is delivered by an outstanding cast (.…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Ben Walters Time Out	"James Stewart is impeccable as George Bailey (...) Funny, compelling and moving (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Fernando F. Croce Slant	"Uncritical reverence both inflates the film's magnitude and robs it of its most interesting elements (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS

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