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Actors: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thoma Mitchell, Henry Travers, Beulah Bondi, Frank Faylen, Ward Bond, Gloria Grahame
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about It's a Wonderful Life |
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When George Bailey contemplates suicide, he gets help from an angel friend who shows him his life in retrospective. The angel also shows George how different the town of Bedford Falls would've been if he hadn't been born. After listening to this story, George decides to get on with his life, and the angel earns his wings. Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart, respectively the greatest director and actor of their time, delivered this gem of a holiday classic in 1939.
--Teddy, Resident Scholar
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George Bailey, a bank officer in the small town of Bedford Falls, wants to end it all by jumping off a bridge ... on Christmas Eve! He misplaced an $8,000 loan and believes that he is not only ruined, but his entire life has been a waste. A crotchety old male angel named Clarence Oddbody stops Bailey from jumping, however, and shows him what Bedford Falls might have been like if George had never lived. It's a unique opportunity to see how even a small, seemingly uneventful life touches so many others in marvelous and unexpected ways. James Stewart is perfect in the lead role of this sweet Christmas season favorite that went all but unnoticed when released in 1946, but became a classic beloved by nearly all after repeated airings on television through the 1960s, 1970s, and beyond. Director Frank Capra brought his gentle touch to a screenplay based on a story by Philip Van Doren and credited to Capra, Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Jo Swerling, and Michael Wilson (though big guns Dalton Trumbo, Dorothy Parker, and Clifford Odets are all reported to have done uncredited work on the script as well).
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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This movie is about the pressures of everyday life on an ordinary man. Eventually, George Bailey is pushed over the edge and comes to question his purpose in life at all, even wondering if it would have been better had he not been born at all. God hears the cries for help from friends and family, and sends angel Clarence to show George what life for those around him would have been like without his influence.
--Natalie Everett, Resident Scholar
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A man who's put his life on hold for the sake of his neighbors, friends, family, and town suddenly finds evrything falling down around him and considers the world would be better without him. A guardian angel shows him what life would be like without him and he decides he would rather be alive because he did so much good.
--Zorikh Lequidre, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of It's a Wonderful Life |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1930's-1950's
Religion themed film?
Yes
Kind of religion story
- angel buddy
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- small businessman
- business executive
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
- (man) short/standard wavey
Body type
- (man) very skinny
Events of movie makes character more...
- happy
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
- ghost
Body type
- (man) fat
How much in movie?
- 90%-100%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 60's-90's
Profession/status:
- business executive
Hair color
- white
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) fat
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- missing body parts/abilities
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Midwest
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- hostile, like Gomer Pyle on steroids
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
- dumb Rednecks, like Gomer Pyle
Misc setting
- school
- bar
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Movie makes you feel...
- encouraged
Check here if B&W
Yes
Any profanity?
- None
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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