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Life Is Beautiful (1997)
"La vita è bella" (original title)

PG-13  |   |  Comedy, Drama, Romance  |  12 February 1999 (USA)
8.6
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Ratings: 8.6/10 from 369,926 users   Metascore: 59/100
Reviews: 1,026 user | 152 critic | 32 from Metacritic.com

When an open-minded Jewish librarian and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.

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Top 250 Movies #26 | Won 3 Oscars. Another 60 wins & 42 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
Giustino Durano ...
Sergio Bini Bustric ...
Ferruccio (as Sergio Bustric)
...
...
Doctor Lessing (as Horst Bucholz)
Giuliana Lojodice ...
Amerigo Fontani ...
Pietro De Silva ...
Francesco Guzzo ...
Raffaella Lebboroni ...
Claudio Alfonsi ...
Rodolfo's Friend
Gil Baroni ...
Massimo Bianchi ...
Man with Key
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Storyline

In 1930s Italy, a carefree Jewish book keeper named Guido starts a fairy tale life by courting and marrying a lovely woman from a nearby city. Guido and his wife have a son and live happily together until the occupation of Italy by German forces. In an attempt to hold his family together and help his son survive the horrors of a Jewish Concentration Camp, Guido imagines that the Holocaust is a game and that the grand prize for winning is a tank. Written by Anthony Hughes <husnock31@hotmail.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

jewish | tank | italy | holocaust | 1930s | See All (70) »

Taglines:

An unforgettable fable that proves love, family and imagination conquer all.

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for holocaust-related thematic elements | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

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Country:

Language:

| |

Release Date:

12 February 1999 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Life Is Beautiful  »

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$118,920 (USA) (23 October 1998)

Gross:

$57,598,247 (USA) (1 October 1999)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (first release)

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Roberto Benigni's Oscar for best actor marked only the second time that an actor had directed himself in an Academy Award winning performance. The other was Laurence Olivier for Hamlet (1948). See more »

Goofs

When Dora stands up on her bed in the barracks and goes to the window to hear Guido's phonograph, some technical cable and the shadow of the crew can be seen on the left side of the screen. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Giosué Orefice: [narrating as an adult] This is a simple story... but not an easy one to tell.
See more »

Connections

Featured in The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007) See more »

Soundtracks

Marcia Reale
(1831)
Written by Giuseppe Gabetti (as G. Gabetti)
Ed. Casa Musicale Pucci - Portici (Na)
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

Outstanding
3 January 2000 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

This may be one of the best films ever made. I've never seen a movie with such a balance of hysterical comedy and serious drama. Roberto Benigni totally deserved his Oscars. People on this site have said such negative things about him and this film. Mr. Benigni had a lot of guts to make this film, and there's not another film like it. He handled both the comedy and drama aspects beautifully. I loved the beautiful cinematography, scenery, and the characters. This movie is magnificent in every way. Don't miss it!


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Americans , really ? rabarbers144
Not in the IMDB Top 250 kent_over_pi
Greatest Italian movie ever? I don't think so... art_of_cinema
ok for those who cried.... jono101
Italian version with English subs or English dubbed version? artknish
Oscar... Benigni/Norton turdferguson1000
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