Director Frank Capra
Staring James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore
Rated PG
Score 6/6

An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed.

In the lead up to Christmas I thought I might try something a little different and try to get a couple of Christmas movie reviews up this year, and considering James Stewart’s performance in Mr. Smith goes to Washington I thought I would start with It’s a Wonderful life.

It’s a Wonderful Life is a special kind of movie, simply because of the impact that it has had on society, you feel as if you have already seen it. I would hazard a guess that it was because that so many television shows have paid homage to it over the years. That is certainly the case with me, and I suppose the inspiration for reviewing this is that I recently heard this being talked about on the radio.
Even though it deals with suicide It’s a Wonderful Life really as dark as I thought it would be (perhaps It’s a Wonderful Life gets as dark as A Christmas Carol), though it certainly is touching and I have to admit to feeling a little misty-eyed by the time the credits rolled. I really have not seen too many movies starring James Stewart, the only other one that I have seen at the moment is Mr. Smith goes to Washington. The two movies where released within seven years of each other and I can’t help but think that Stewart brought a similar sense of optimism to his characters George Bailey and Jefferson Smith.
Of particular note was the on-screen chemistry between Stewart and Donna Reed. My favourite scene between Reed and Stewart was the scene after the graduation dance.