My favourite xmas film with no special effects just a great great story.
I cry at the end but is it just me but why could the character who stole the money not have been exposed to tie up the loose ends.
Everyone still thinks the lodgement from savings and loan was lost
I've got this sitting in my recordings on the virgin media box.
Half of me wants to watch it but then the other half isn't particularly bothered.
Seeing all these different opinions here doesn't help much :P
I find all 'themed' films rather heavy going, this one included. I'm not one for themes as they remove the realism and believability.
I think that removing realism from films could benefit a great many films.
I think that delving into fantasy can often be an effective means of revealing truths, more so than so many films which try to focus on appearing realistic.
Totally boring. 2 hours of telling James Stewarts life story and about 10 minutes at the end where they show what would happen if he had died.
They talk so fast in the movie as well. Seems every scene is rushed. I just didnt get it
You could say it pulls its punches badly. It's clear that the thriving community only happens because Stewart's not-greedy savings and loans company offers ordinary, poorish people the means to buy a house, as against the grasping capitalist b* who we are told would have them all in slum housing collecting rents from them. And in the 'life without Jimmy' version, we see a town of hustlers, with violence bubbling under the surface and everyone worn down and suspicious of each other. We are told the savings and loan company went bust years ago. So, who owns the town now?
We see every outcome of Stewart's non-existence, with everyone he knows being worse off. Except....where's the capitalist, who is obviously behind the disastrous state the town is in, and is presumably rich as Croesus? Not a sign. So, a stinging critique of unbridled capitalism is set up then swerved away from.
Or...faceless manipulation of society to make the rich richer and the poor poorer? Maybe it's being realistic!
It's a wonderful movie(sorry) and the reconstruction looks marvellous on bluray.
If only life was like this now instead of the current " I'm alright jack " mentality that prevails.
Today it would be pottersville and the community would never lift a finger to help George.
At the time of release the sentiments in this movie were way too liberal for the Americans. The movie is very idealistic but there is nothing wrong with good old fashioned altruism. There is more to life than money.
How could anyone hate this film, you lot have no souls.
It would be a dull world if we all shared the same taste, I find it over sentimental, and it just leaves me cold. I grew up in the 1940's, it is my favourite era for films, and I love a good weepie like Now Voyager and Random Harvest.
I didn't like Casablanca either, but these are just a couple of films that were not to my taste. I would hardly say that was a good enough reason to say I have no soul. ;-)
Comments
It would be so good if we could see what life would be like if we hadn't existed.
For some I doubt there would be much of an impact.
For other people they might affect the lives of other people in a significant way, for good or bad.
Hitler certainly affected the lives of millions for instance. But how much does the life of an ordinary person affect anyone?
I cry at the end but is it just me but why could the character who stole the money not have been exposed to tie up the loose ends.
Everyone still thinks the lodgement from savings and loan was lost
It suffers from high expectations IMO, it just doesn't live up to its billing.
Personally "George Bailey, I'll love youl 'til the day I die"
'A brief encounter' being another favourite of mine.
Half of me wants to watch it but then the other half isn't particularly bothered.
Seeing all these different opinions here doesn't help much :P
Like most modern films are good?
I think that removing realism from films could benefit a great many films.
I think that delving into fantasy can often be an effective means of revealing truths, more so than so many films which try to focus on appearing realistic.
Me if you tell what time and which channel it is on please Dan
They talk so fast in the movie as well. Seems every scene is rushed. I just didnt get it
It's on More 4 this afternoon at 4.15. Enjoy.
I'm starting to think that this is imo probably the best acting performance of all time.
James Stewart FTW.
Sums it up for me, except I'll qualify it as one of the best acting performances..... Fabulous film.
We see every outcome of Stewart's non-existence, with everyone he knows being worse off. Except....where's the capitalist, who is obviously behind the disastrous state the town is in, and is presumably rich as Croesus? Not a sign. So, a stinging critique of unbridled capitalism is set up then swerved away from.
Or...faceless manipulation of society to make the rich richer and the poor poorer? Maybe it's being realistic!
I agree with you Louise and apparently it was James Stewart's favourite role.
If only life was like this now instead of the current " I'm alright jack " mentality that prevails.
Today it would be pottersville and the community would never lift a finger to help George.
At the time of release the sentiments in this movie were way too liberal for the Americans. The movie is very idealistic but there is nothing wrong with good old fashioned altruism. There is more to life than money.
It would be a dull world if we all shared the same taste, I find it over sentimental, and it just leaves me cold. I grew up in the 1940's, it is my favourite era for films, and I love a good weepie like Now Voyager and Random Harvest.
I didn't like Casablanca either, but these are just a couple of films that were not to my taste. I would hardly say that was a good enough reason to say I have no soul. ;-)