It's a Wonderful Life (1946) Rank 4 Reviews

The Magic of the Movies (Alex Christensen)

It is extremely hard to objectively criticize a work that is not really just a "movie," or even a film (if there is a qualitative difference), but is an emotional and cultural experience that has colored my childhood and continues to arise to comment ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at The Magic of the Movies (Alex Christensen)

At-A-Glance Film Reviews

What can be said about this famous Christmas classic that hasn't been said already? Not much. Frank Capra's emotionally involving film about a man at the end of his rope discovering his self-worth with the aid of an endearing angel has stood the test ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at At-A-Glance Film Reviews

TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide

The holiday gift for all time. This heartwarming fantasy, one of the most popular films ever made, begins as angels discuss George Bailey (James Stewart), a small-town resident so beset with problems that he contemplates a Christmastime suicide. In ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide

Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)

By now everyone knows Frank Capra's holiday classic and the tears it so effortlessly conjures up year after year -- but it's easy to forget how truly vicious the film is, and how brilliantly James Stewart rises to the challenge. As George Bailey, he ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)

Movie Gazette (Gary Panton)

The best Christmas film ever made. That's right - it's even better than 'The Santa Clause 2'. ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Movie Gazette (Gary Panton)

Three Movie Buffs (Patrick Nash)

Though cynics may scoff at It's a Wonderful Life, as an overly idealistic, Capraesque slice of Americana; those of us with even a glimmer of childish innocence will continue to cherish this truly magical movie. ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Three Movie Buffs (Patrick Nash)

Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)

In fact, the best scene in the movie takes place between these two actors. The action transpires in Mary's house, where she and George are listening to a high school friend on the phone at the same time. As they stand close together, sharing the ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)

The Digital Bits

Both Jimmy Stewart and director Frank Capra have called It's a Wonderful Life their best work, and it's hard to argue the point. Stewart, in his first acting role after returning from World War II (he was a pilot in the Army Air Force) gives the ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at The Digital Bits

CBC.ca Arts (Stephen Cole)

As warm and comforting as a scarf knit by Grandma, Frank Capra's 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life has been a holiday favourite for more than 30 years. That success was late in arriving, however. ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at CBC.ca Arts (Stephen Cole)

Max Scheinin

Near the end of Frank Capra's holiday classic, Its A Wonderful Life, George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) is feeling down. He has devoted his life to others, and never fulfilled his dream of leaving his small supburb town, Bedford Falls. Standing upon a bridge ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Max Scheinin

Martin Rich

Jimmy Stewart plays George Bailey, the local hero of the small town of Bedford Falls. He rejects offers of foreign travel and an exotic future to run the family business, a philanthropic savings bank, and to preserve it from the attentions of Potter, a ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Martin Rich

Scribble King

It's a Wonderful Life is one of those movies that pops up on television every Christmas, and which you can truly call a timeless classic. Writing a review of a movie like this is a bit pointless, since everybody reading it has probably already seen it ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Scribble King

Steve Rhodes

Set mainly in a cold and snowy environment and with the show's conclusion at Christmas Eve, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is a great film for the holidays. Although sometimes bordering on the maudlin, it remains a beautifully uplifting story and a sweet little ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Steve Rhodes

Joe Barlow

With our first glimpse of Bedford Falls, the idyllic, snow-kissed setting of Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, we know something is amiss. It's Christmas Eve, but there's no joy in the air--only a sense of tension and foreboding. There are voices ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Joe Barlow

CleverDonkey.com (EngineerBoy)

I hadn't watched It's A Wonderful Life in a number of years, at least not all the way through from beginning to end. Well, we watched it last night, and I have to say that this movie deserves its legendary status. I know the whole story, inside and ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at CleverDonkey.com (EngineerBoy)

The Fresh Films Review (Fredrik Fevang)

This highly sentimental film about human and moral values could easily have been reduced to a cheap tear-jerker but for fine direction by Frank Capra. It is basically a simple story (with somewhat one-dimensional characters), but it is also a very ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at The Fresh Films Review (Fredrik Fevang)

Brilliant Observations on 1173 Films (Clayton Trapp)

One of man's greatest accomplishments to throw against the seemingly hollow reverb of the cosmos. More a religious achievement than a film, or even art. How do you idealize, or even make interesting, a guy who's sold his own dreams, lives in daily ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Brilliant Observations on 1173 Films (Clayton Trapp)

Appreciating Great Trash

It's a Wonderful Life is not the wad of cloying, sugary-sweet sentimentality that some might presume it to be; it does, after all, feature a kid bleeding from his ears within the first ten minutes. And for the first 90-minutes, Frank Capra's ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Appreciating Great Trash

Chris Jarmick

What an original choice for a favorite Christmas movie huh? After watching it dozens of times, you would think it would be forever out of my system. It's not. It's that good of a film and to pretend I'm not a sucker for it's charms would mean I'd be ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Chris Jarmick

DVDTown.com (James Plath)

George Bailey and Bedford Falls never looked so good! ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at DVDTown.com (James Plath)

Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)

Not only as one of the best Christmas movies, but THE Christmas movie. ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)

Decent Films Guide (Steven D. Greydanus)

"No one is born to be a failure. No one is poor who has friends. ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Decent Films Guide (Steven D. Greydanus)

DVD MovieGuide

Like many people, I maintain a love/hate relationship with holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life. On one hand, I dislike its oversentimentality and hokeyness and find it to offer an unrealistic portrait of a fantasy America that never really existed. ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at DVD MovieGuide

Christian Spotlight on the Movies

This film was a failure at the box office and at the time marked the beginning of the decline for Christian scientist-turned-director Frank Capra. Because of its failure in every sense of the term, it was discarded by its distributer, RKO (which would ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Christian Spotlight on the Movies

Oscar Guy (Wesley Lovell)

The film's entire premise can be summed up with a bit of text from the film: "Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends." ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Oscar Guy (Wesley Lovell)

Parent Previews

Having just returned from World War II, Colonel Frank Capra, one of Hollywood's foremost directors, was alarmed by the increasingly apathetic attitudes toward God, freedom, and democracy that he witnessed in ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Parent Previews

filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)

Today, It's a Wonderful Life is the most famous and successful film either directed by Frank Capra, or starring James Stewart. But it wasn't always that way. It originally lost money at the box office. Although it received five Academy Award ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)

Teen Movie Critic (Roger Davidson)

No matter how many times it's shown during the Christmas season, I just can't get enough of this film. This immortal classic stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who has spent all his life trying to succeed, spending most of it trying to help ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Teen Movie Critic (Roger Davidson)

James Brundage

I won't bother with the why. The answer lies in the question in the fact that the normal movie has to ask why it shouldn't use a thing that worked. They never take risks (studio films, that is. I think an old film and an independent are on equal ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at James Brundage

Orbital Reviews

George Bailey (James Stewart) is contemplating suicide, audiences are informed at the beginning of the film, so he needs a guardian angel to help change his mind and make him realize how much he means to other people. His angel, Clarence Oddbody (Henry ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Orbital Reviews

BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)

"It's a Wonderful Life" needs another five star review like it needs more charismatic actors. So this is aimed at anyone who suspects that it's a movie that will drench them in saccharine sentimentality. ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)

Guardian [UK] (Peter Bradshaw)

The film is gripping enough simply with the telling of George's lifestory. A genuine American classic. ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Guardian [UK] (Peter Bradshaw)

DVD Talk (Todd Siechen)

This film is one of those exceptional classics that remains timeless in its message and thoughtfulness. Without a doubt one of the most memorable and beloved films of all time, "Its a Wonderful Life" brings to the screen a fantastic story of ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at DVD Talk (Todd Siechen)

Channel 4 Film (Fran Hortop)

You'd have to possess a very hard heart not to find something to love in this story. ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Channel 4 Film (Fran Hortop)

Listen To Me

Hey, remember when Christmastime (OH AND CHANNUHHUAKAH AND KWANZAA TIME I AM SO SORRY) would roll around and you could turn on the TV and see this movie (It's A Wonderful Life is the movie in question for those of you with exceptionally short short-term ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Listen To Me

Apollo Movie Guide (Dan Jardine)

George Bailey is given a gift: he can see what the world would be like if he had never lived. Capra's Americanisation of A Christmas Carol is a remarkable, joyous, life affirming experience. A wonderful sentimental journey. ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Apollo Movie Guide (Dan Jardine)

Movie-Vault.com (Vadim Rizov)

It has a few minor flaws, but what the hell, It's A Wonderful Life is an almost perfect combination of sentiment, realism, fantasy, and genuinely uplifting material (if you don't think too hard). It remains the best movie by the remarkable Frank ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Movie-Vault.com (Vadim Rizov)

The DVD Report (Britt Gillette)

The quintessential Christmas classic, It's A Wonderful Life has dominated the holiday TV landscape with its timeless story of love, friendship, and a kind man's exceedingly relevant life. ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at The DVD Report (Britt Gillette)

filmcritic.com

Come now, what on earth am I going to say about one of the most beloved films ever made? Something about how it was originally coined on a Christmas Card? About how a clerical error resulted in it not being copyrighted and contributing to its ubiquity on ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at filmcritic.com

Classic Film Guide

Produced & directed by Frank Capra, based on Philip Van Doren Stern's story "The Greatest Gift" with a screenplay by Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett (The Thin Man (1934)) and Capra plus additional scenes from Jo Swerling (The Pride of the Yankees ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Classic Film Guide

Cinescape

There's a scene in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE that speaks volumes without speaking a word. In it, Jimmy Stewart as the ever put-upon every-man, George Bailey, stands in front of his small house. A train whistle sounds and Stewart looks off quickly towards ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Cinescape

Crazy for Cinema (Lisa Skrzyniarz)

Though I only saw this film all the way through for the first time a few years ago, it has become one of my all time favorites. A film to watch whenever I feel a little down about my life. I initially avoided it because I though it was going to be one of ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Crazy for Cinema (Lisa Skrzyniarz)

Bright Lights Film Journal

"An embarrassment both to flesh and spirit" - that was Richard Winnington of the News Chronicle in a contemporaneous review of It's a Wonderful Life (1946). ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Bright Lights Film Journal

Boxoffice Magazine

Far removed from the beaten path is the unusual assortment of story ingredients which Producer-Director Frank Capra has smoothly blended into his first effort since doing a wartime hitch in the army. Fantasy, philosophy, some preachment for democracy, ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Boxoffice Magazine

Bosting Reviews

There have been may fine Christmas movies over the years, most of them appearing on the box with alarming regularity. ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Bosting Reviews

Apollo Guide

The pivotal moment in It's a Wonderful Life clearly defines its central character, George Bailey. Standing on a bridge, contemplating suicide, Bailey (played to small-town perfection by Jimmy Stewart) instead finds himself leaping into the water to ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Apollo Guide

Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings

At one time, this was the most ubiquitous movie during the Christmas season; that title has now been taken by A CHRISTMAS STORY. I will admit there's a curmudgeonly part of my personality that would have been tempted to dismiss the movie by its plot ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings

Reel Movie Critic

Now perhaps the most beloved American film, It's a Wonderful Life was largely forgotten for years, due to a copyright quirk. Only in the late 1970s did it find its audience through repeated TV showings. Frank Capra's masterwork deserves its status as a ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Reel Movie Critic

Mr. Cranky

Ask yourself this question very seriously: What does this Frank Capra movie teach us? Seriously. Think about it. Here's the answer: The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. After all, doesn't Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) get to keep the eight ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Mr. Cranky

filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

Come now, what on earth am I going to say about one of the most beloved films ever made? Something about how it was originally coined on a Christmas Card? About how a clerical error resulted in it not being copyrighted and contributing to its ubiquity ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

Nehring The Edge

Considered by many to be THE Christmas movie, It's A Wonderful Life continues to impress seventy years after its release. A staple of late night television for years, this film deserves every ounce, every speck of praise it has received. ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Nehring The Edge

Metaphilm

Amid all the marketing and the forced cheer that has come to define our holiday seasons, there has evolved, over the past half-century, a genuine and thoroughly bottom-up cinematic Christmas tradition. ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Metaphilm

Entertainment Insiders

"It's a Wonderful Life" is Frank Capra's holiday classic. Though the film was a critical and box-office bomb upon its original release, the film gained the reputation it deserved on TV. Director Capra claimed the film as his personal favorite. ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Entertainment Insiders

Reel.com

But holiday tradition is only one reason this four-star film has endured. It's also become a generational favorite because it successfully combines two time-honored Hollywood plots: rags-to-riches, and romance. Protagonist George Bailey (James Stewart) ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Reel.com

DVD Talk (Jamie S. Rich)

What is there to say about It's a Wonderful Life? Some films are classics for a reason, and there's no cause to cast aspersion on Frank Capra's 1946 Dickensian fable. Despite its ubiquitous presence every holiday season and the years where it seemed ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at DVD Talk (Jamie S. Rich)

Movie Martyr (Jeremy Heilman)

It's a Wonderful Life is such a sacred cow of American cinema that it seems petty to complain about it, and, for what it's worth, there's little about it that bugs me. I certainly have a problem with the arch simplicity of Mr. Potter, the ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Movie Martyr (Jeremy Heilman)

digitallyOBSESSED.com (Rich Rosell)

What is there to say that hasn't already been said about It's a Wonderful Life? Not much, I'm guessing. It is certainly a wonderfully ageless American film, with a tale that never ceases to bring a tear to the eye, and thanks to its brief life in the ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at digitallyOBSESSED.com (Rich Rosell)

Scifilm ("Mindflash")

Before we start, I have a complaint to make:Australian TV channels never show anything worthwhile. Case in point: Christmas Day, three years ago, I was watching a Swedish Christmas movie (called EN LITEN JULSAGA), and my sister wanted to interrupt my ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Scifilm ("Mindflash")

Sridhar Prasad

But before Clarence can save George, he first has to go through a Cliffs Notes version of George Bailey's life. We see George sacrificing his hearing to save his brother's life, sacrificing his college education to save the family business, sacrificing ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Sridhar Prasad

DVDBeaver

The pivotal moment in It's a Wonderful Life clearly defines its central character, George Bailey. Standing on a bridge, contemplating suicide, Bailey (played to small-town perfection by Jimmy Stewart) instead finds himself leaping into the water to save ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at DVDBeaver

SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review

Even though it was not that popular upon its release, It's a Wonderful Life has gone on to become one of the genuine classics that holds a special place in American holiday season sentiment. This came about more by accident than intent when, ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review

Chicago NewCityNet (Ray Pride)

Directed by Frank Capra. By virtue of a bureaucratic foul-up, a little-seen commercial flop fell out of copyright over a decade ago and onto the schedules of every TV station in America that could snag a tape for a royalty-free showing. About the time ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Chicago NewCityNet (Ray Pride)

Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)

Quite appropriately, the movie started as a Christmas card. In the early 1940s, writer Philip Van Doren Stern penned a short story called "The Greatest Gift," which he printed on 200 holiday cards and sent out to friends and family. RKO Pictures bought ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)

Mutant Reviewers From Hell

Trust me, I get it. I honestly do. ...read the complete It's a Wonderful Life movie review at Mutant Reviewers From Hell