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Paramount Pictures presents It’s A Wonderful Life: 60th Anniversary Edition. Written by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett and Frank Capra. Running Time: 130 minutes. Not Rated. Originally released in 1946.
Director:
Frank Capra
Cast:
James Stewart..”¦”¦..George Bailey
Donna Reed..”¦”¦..Mary Hatch Bailey
Lionel Barrymore..”¦”¦..Mr. Potter
Thomas Mitchell..”¦”¦..Uncle Billy
Henry Travers..”¦”¦..Clarence
Frank Faylen..”¦”¦..Ernie Bishop
Ward Bond..”¦”¦..Officer Bert
The Movie:
When one starts thinking of Christmas movies one of the first ones that comes to mind is It’s A Wonderful Life. The uplifting tale of one man who feels his life has been worth nothing until an angel shows him what life would be like had he never been born.
Frank Capra has always been known for the positive messages in his films and this film is the ultimate culmination of all his ideas. It is wide knowledge that Wonderful Life was Capra’s favorite of films. While much of the success of this film can be attributed to Capra, it would have been nothing without James Stewart.
Stewart brought the character George Bailey to life in way no one else could have. It is tragic watching Bailey’s dreams always slip through his fingers as he forced to take car of the things in Bedford Falls. Everything that happens to him culminates in that one moment when Bailey is at the end of his ropes. The anguish Stewart exudes in these seems hardly seems like acting at all.
The supporting cast adds another level of perfection to this film. Lionel Barrymore is ruthless as the Scrooge-like Mr. Potter. Donna Reed is more beautiful than ever as Mary Bailey. Henry Travers, while only in the film for a few minutes as the angel Clarence, embodies the role so well that he is truly memorable. And finally there’s Ward Bond and Frank Faylen who play Officer Bert and Ernie Bishop, George’s comical friends (and the original Bert and Ernie!).
Over the years this film has been over played again and again on TV taking away much of it’s relevance which is really tragic. This is truly a classic film that will bring any film lover to laughter and to tears. It maybe a little sappy for today’s modern, cynical ways, but if you’re open to the joy this film can bring your in for a real treat.
STORY: 10
ACTING: 9
LOOK/FEEL: 9
ORIGINALITY: 10
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 10
FINAL SCORE: 9.5
“I want to live again!”
The DVD:
The Video:
The film is presented fullscreen. This film is in beautiful black & white and this version looks fantastic! Capra knew how to make good-looking movies and this one is no exception.
The Audio:
The film is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. The sound is a little rusty, no real improvements over previous versions. Sometimes the dialogue is a little hard to understand.
Extras:
NOTE: While these are interesting extras, there is nothing new here from previous releases of the film.
The Making Of “It’s A Wonderful Life”:While dated, this is a great making of hosted by Tom Bosley! We learn about how the film came to be (it started as a story in a Christmas card) and we learn about goofs that made it into the film. This also includes some great interview footage of James Stewart.
A Personal Remembrance:Frank Capra Jr. pays a special tribute to his father. This is an interesting look into the life of Frank Capra with a lot of focus on It’s A Wonderful Life
Original Theatrical Trailer
The Inside Pulse
There’s no denying this film is a true classic and worthy of any film collection. However, there is nothing new in this edition making it another pointless release for the studio to try to make more money.
