It's A Wonderful Life
December 1946
2
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Synopsis
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Google Play reviews now use Google+ so it's easier to see opinions from people you care about. New reviews will be publicly linked to your Google+ profile. Your name on previous reviews now appears as "A Google User".
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4.7
544 total
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4 55
3 17
2 6
1 14
Michael Wilmington
The most well-loved of all Christmas movies.
Rich Cohen
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.
Manny Farber
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.
Dave Kehr
The epiphany of movie sentiment and a transcendent experience.
Bert Briller
The April-air wholesomeness and humanism of this natural bring back vividly the reminder that, essentially, the screen best offers unselfconscious, forthright entertainment.
Critic reviews
Rich Cohen
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.
Manny Farber
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.
Bert Briller
The April-air wholesomeness and humanism of this natural bring back vividly the reminder that, essentially, the screen best offers unselfconscious, forthright entertainment.
Geoff Andrew
Regardless of whether or not you believe in angels, it's a wonderful movie.
User reviews
Capra at his best! This movie for me works on two levels. It is heart warming and inspiring in how it tells a narrative we want to relate to. But it also makes some politico-philisophic statements that ad a meaning that is as close as Capra would get to Bergman. Either way it is a great film, and a little deeper than most give it credit for. It is also a training manual for your Jimmy Stewart impression.
![Lorin Olsen avatar image](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4muFjA8qBy8/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAM0Q/LAiaUf1QyAw/w48-c-h48/photo.jpg)
Capra and Stewat define Christmas: family + faith I am an unrepentant sentimentalist. For the last thirty years, I would not be prepared for Christmas until I watched this movie. This movie is an unflinching tear-jerker. And I cannot watch this movie without dissolving into a stream of soul-cleansing joy. Just thinking about the movie as I write this is already starting to bring forth the tears. This is not a complex story. This is not an "inventive" story. You will find little mystery or suspense in this film. But you may be forced to face yourself. Jimmy Stewart (under Capra's direction) has the ability to become every man. If you don't see yourself in these characters, then you are missing the real point of the movie. And as you do face yourself, you will be forced to confront and accept God's incomparable grace for you. If you want to recapture the joy of every childhood Christmas, then watch this movie. God's mercy and grace will rekindle the child-like innocence that only comes from receiving God's truest Christmas gift.
![Chris Newman avatar image](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-u0m__V3NQUI/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAALE/AG-Vg_s1xD8/w48-c-h48/photo.jpg)
'The' absolute best! My all-time favorite Christmas movie. Just finished watching it and, as always, it ends with me having moist eyes at that most beautiful ending scene. :) Great acting by the legend, James Stewart and great writers/directing by Frank Capra and his fellow writers. @The person who said, "Am I the only person who hates it?" Yes, most likely. For what reason I will never care to know and I feel pity for you.
![Sean Maysonet avatar image](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-tY4NxM6TGHU/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAMQA/BO-nX18F7NI/w48-c-h48/photo.jpg)
Idiot! Someone actually questioned why this movie would be discounted for Christmas, stating that it's not about Christmas nor it has nothing to do with Christmas. Has this person been living under a rock for a half century or so?! Or are those the words of a deprived child. The latter is the only real excuse. And to that i say, "watch it and see if you still think that!".
![Christopher Schiebel avatar image](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Qr8kSm9zl8E/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAAXs/A5lpUfqkuiY/w48-c-h48/photo.jpg)
$4.99 is a "Christans Deal" on play? Really? unless it's a remastered Blu-ray disk, anybody could get this in the $2 DVD bargain bin. Why would ANYBODY pay $5 for this when you can own the DVD and rip it (fair use for space shifting legally owned media) yourself for Android? It's a great movie, but this is a rip off. Where's the usual real Play deals Google usually has?! This "sale" has been truly lame.
A real tearjerker My family and I watch this movie every year. It never gets old, and it makes me happy-cry every time.
Oh My Goodness! Bryan Parks, you are a prime example of what is wrong with our country! No manners, No gratitude, and exteme ignorance! Google, thanks for discounting this wonderful movie and all the other special deals this Christmas Season.
Cast and credits
Actors | James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell |
Producers | Frank Capra |
Director | Frank Capra |
Writers | Frank Capra, Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett |
Additional information
Rotten tomatoes® score
Audio language
Subtitles
English
Info cards
Run time
130 minutes
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