It's a Wonderful Life

[scottydog]

I know, I know. This movie is old, sickly sweet, over-the-top schmaltzy, and completely lacking in cynicism about human nature.

Maybe that's why I love it. It also features a great hero in George Bailey.

So go ahead, tear into it if you will. It's still a flic I will watch every couple of years, if only because that's how often I need a good cry.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

It's a great movie. Christmas isn't complete for me until I've watched the it.

 

[JiNX-01]

I love "It's a Wonderful Life, too"! Who wouldn't love to have Jimmy Stewart as their banker-friend-neighbor?

 

[DonIago]

I like it as the earliest alternate timeline film I can recall.

 

[scottydog]

I like it as the earliest alternate timeline film I can recall.

You may be right. I'm not sure that A Christmas Carol counts as an alternate timeline film.

One of the most interesting things about the movie is that it offers an ironic reversal of the typical hero storyline. At the end, the hero doesn't save the town; the town saves the hero. How cool is that?

 

[Jetfire]

I never could get into this film...during Christmas NBC would show this and many years back The WB would show The Wizard Of Oz...why during Christmas Eve I don't know??? I started my own tradition and picked a classic film to watch Christmas Eve...Cover Girl(Starring Rita Hayworth & Gene Kelly).

 

[Too Much Fun]

Jimmy Stewart bugs the hell out of me. His voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me and I find his body language/acting style extremely irritating. If I can enjoy a movie that he's in, I believe it has some superb writing and direction. This one goes on my list with "Harvey", "Vertigo", and "The Philadelphia Story" as movies that I thought were so good, they managed to be great despite annoying Jimmy's presence. Can't say the same for "Rear Window".

 

[rainrotoka]

It's wonderful romantic movie. I have watched this movie and I really enjoyed myself.

 

[Deckerd]

Rear Window is awesome. How could you say that? The bit where Raymond Burr sees her waggling the ring at someone out the window, and suddenly looks up at the watcher, is one of the most brilliant thriller sequences I've ever seen.

 

[Angel4576]

^^ Agreed. Wow, just wow!

Rear Window is a great film, like most of Jimmy Stewart's movies.

Very impressed with the Blu Ray release of It's a Wonderful Life, includes both the original B&W version, and the exceptional colour version as well. Ordinarily I'm not a fan of such tinkering but I thought that they did a very good job colouring this.

 

[Sparky]

It's a great movie. Christmas isn't complete for me until I've watched the it.

Same here. Christmas viewings of It's a Wonderful Life and the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim are standard every year.

 

[Too Much Fun]

Rear Window is awesome. How could you say that? The bit where Raymond Burr sees her waggling the ring at someone out the window, and suddenly looks up at the watcher, is one of the most brilliant thriller sequences I've ever seen.

I think that moment you mentioned was my favourite part. Such a cool shot. I was impressed with the movie on a technical level (the close-ups and other unique camera tricks were really neat), but basically Jimmy Stewart ruined it for me.

I mean I find him annoying in all of his movies, but usually the script is strong enough that I can overlook his lameness and get into the movie. "Rear Window" was an exception, though. I also couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to buy that a dame as classy as Grace Kelly could go for a wuss like him.

Getting back to "It's A Wonderful Life", I like that it was made at a time when America was so innocent that the most shockingly abusive thing Jimmy's character could say to his piano-playing kid was, "Why do you have to play that SILLY song?!?"

 

[scottydog]

Well, they say that Tom Hanks is the Jimmy Stewart of our generation. A likable everyman.

I wonder if there are any people whom Tom Hanks annoys.

 

[kitkat]

It's an amazing movie, so timeless. The hubby and I watch it every year. I cry like a baby every time.

When George and Mary are kids and she leans in at the store and whispers, "Is this the ear you can't hear out of? George Bailey, I'll love you 'til the day I die". I lose it every time!! And, of course at the end.

 

[sidious618]

I have to admit that I can't stand that film. Then again, my Christmas movie is "Christmas Vacation."

 

[Jetfire]

Well, they say that Tom Hanks is the Jimmy Stewart of our generation. A likable everyman.

I wonder if there are any people whom Tom Hanks annoys.

I was pretty cool with him up until The Da Vinci Code.

 

[Too Much Fun]

It wasn't Jimmy's 'every man' quality that bugged me so much as his grating voice. I always get a kick out of it when people make fun of it on shows like "The Simpsons" and "Animaniacs". He just sounds so goofy...not quite, what I'd call an 'every man' .

Hanks has made some pretty awful career moves over the last ten years, but just about every movie he was in was solid fun from 1992-2000 (I love "Catch Me If You Can" from 2002 also). Like Stewart, he had really good taste in what roles he chose (at least until recently). I would be curious about who would win in a poll between the two.

 

[Amaris]

I love, love, love "It's a Wonderful Life". For me, the greatest, starkest bit of contrast is when George starts patting at his coat, looking for his ID, papers, anything to prove he exists, and Clarence says "They're not there, either". George says, "what's not there?", to which Clarence replies "Zuzu's petals". It runs cold chills down my spine every time at George's expression, and the musical chord is just perfect right then.

 

[scottydog]

When George and Mary are kids and she leans in at the store and whispers, "Is this the ear you can't hear out of? George Bailey, I'll love you 'til the day I die". I lose it every time!! And, of course at the end.

I love, love, love "It's a Wonderful Life". For me, the greatest, starkest bit of contrast is when George starts patting at his coat, looking for his ID, papers, anything to prove he exists, and Clarence says "They're not there, either". George says, "what's not there?", to which Clarence replies "Zuzu's petals". It runs cold chills down my spine every time at George's expression, and the musical chord is just perfect right then.

These are both great scenes. I also love the scene when George and Mary share the telephone while talking to Sam Wainwright, and they go from being angry with each other to kissing passionately. Wow.

 

[bluedana]

The scene that gets me the most is when George is insisting that the apothecary has put poison in the capsules, and the man begins to slap his sore ear. The actor who played young George is so heartbreaking in that scene.