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Directed by
Frank Capra
Genres
Drama, Family, Fantasy

About It's a Wonderful Life

It's a Wonderful Life is an 1946 English-language drama family film directed by Frank Capra. The cast is led by James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore and Thomas Mitchell. It runs 2h 11m. Made on a budget of around $3.2M, it has grossed $9.6M worldwide. Audiences rate it 8.3/10 across 4,953 votes on TMDB.

Release date
1946-12-20
Runtime
2h 11m
Language
English
Budget
$3.2M
Box office
$9.6M
IMDb
tt0038650

Cast

Trailers

Audience Reviews

CinemaSerf 8/10

“Every now and again you come across a film that just makes you think.... This is one of those. Recently upconverted to 4K and back on a big screen, it's quite simply a joy to watch. Jimmy Stewart is "George" - a man who has spent his adult life tirelessly trying to help those less fortunate to make their own way in life - and his savings and loan enterprise is the lifeline for many of them. When that all goes pear-shaped though, he feels a degree of despair that leads him to ...”

r96sk 8/10

“Lovely film. <em>'It’s a Wonderful Life'</em> is enjoyable, hearty and well crafted. It takes longer than I would've predicted to get to 'the event', but it's very much worth seeing the journey that comes before - as we see the arc of James Stewart's George. It all crescendos with an ending that you can't help but smile at. Stewart is excellent in the lead role, you really do see every single emotion that his character goes through. He is, by far, the standout performer...”

Peter McGinn 9/10

“Oh my goodness, I am not going to spend much time describing this gold standard of Christmas movies. If you have seen it, you know what it is. If you haven’t seen it, stop reading this and watch it now. It is funny, tense, sentimental, romantic and downright Capra-esque. I have liked Jimmy Stewart in everything I have seen him in. Was he that good, or did the camera just plain love him, like I heard said once about Steve McQueen. But it doesn’t stop there. If you notice th...”

Review excerpts from TMDB community members.

It's a Wonderful Life — FAQ

Who directed It's a Wonderful Life?

It's a Wonderful Life was directed by Frank Capra.

When was It's a Wonderful Life released?

It's a Wonderful Life was released on 1946-12-20.

How long is It's a Wonderful Life?

It's a Wonderful Life has a runtime of 2 hours 11 minutes.

What genre is It's a Wonderful Life?

It's a Wonderful Life is a drama, family, fantasy film.

Who stars in It's a Wonderful Life?

It's a Wonderful Life stars James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers.

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