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It's a Wonderful Life (1 Viewer)

The General said:
I have never seen this movie.
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I watched it for the first time two years ago. Pretty damn good, although it seems to start out a bit slow - I dozed off for the first ~30 minutes due to too much Christmas dinner, and I didn't seem to miss a whole lot.

 
Tried to watch it last year for the first time.

Was not successful. Can't get into stuff over 50 years old.

 
Have not watched yet this year. Hope to find time soon. The first time I tried watching it a few years ago, I did not like. Now, I thoroughly enjoy. It is a heart-warming story that reminds us what is important in life. Not everyone has to like this movie but it does seem odd to hate it greatly.

Stewart carries the movie. Donna Reed is just beautiful.

 
Is it ok to say Bailey is kind of a jerk? Yells at the teacher, yells at the wife, yells at the kid, tells the Angel to shut up, over and over.

 
Never watched this until about 5 years ago. Great show that holds up remarkably well given that its 70 years old.

 
Capella said:
Is it ok to say Bailey is kind of a jerk? Yells at the teacher, yells at the wife, yells at the kid, tells the Angel to shut up, over and over.
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That's the best part. He's one of the best guys around, but he's not perfect. He's human. That's what makes it not cheesy, what makes it relatable. As I had posted in the OP of the merged thread:

Otis said:
Has to at least be in the conversation.

At a high level it's a good old feelgood Christmas classic. But beyond that, the subtleties and the stuff below the surface is what makes this one of the all-time greats.

It's a great example of how simple life seemed back then. And man, what a genuinely good guy George Bailey is, and how incredibly likeable he is -- and yet, in a departure from Christmas movie cheesedom, he's not perfect. Like his character would in the real world, he sometimes gets moody and surly and impatient. He gets jealous of his buddy Sam Wainright who moved away to big New York City and became a big shot. It really eats at him -- he wanted to get away, to see the world, to build things, to move to the big city, but he never got that chance. He is too proud sometimes. He is torn between his romantic view of the adventure that life should be in his head, and yet shows his interest in the material parts of life (like when he nearly accepts Mr. Potter's offer to come and work for him) and ultimately gets caught up in a girl, and a family, same as everyone. Jimmy Stewart is such a wonderful actor and just absolutely nails the part. He is George Bailey. Both at the surface, and in all of these nuances, he plays it perfectly.

And the dialogue is just wonderful and so clever. In some places it's downright funny. And despite how simple life seemed back then, there are some great almost racy nuances that remind you things really haven't changed all that much -- like when the guys and BSing in the street and Violet walks by, and they all stop and stare mouths agape, and then very subtly Bert the cop mumble rushes off to see his wife. Awesome!

Then you've got some more obvious imagery, like the crow in the scene every time things are about to go bad. What other stuff have I missed here?

All in all, just such a fantastic movie.
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You could call him a jerk, or maybe just imperfect. That's exactly what makes it so awesome.

 
Why aren't there more actors like Stewart in Hollywood today? What he did so perfectly is bring the dialogue to life by stuttering at points and by saying things like "huh?" and "what's that?" on occasion when he pretended not to hear someone. Turns out that human dialogue in real life isn't a perfectly smoothly delivered and executed conversation. More often than not it goes in fits and starts, clumsily, with miscommunication, people mumbling and stuttering, not always hearing each other, etc. The dialogue in this movie is so wonderful.

Now contrast this to most of the glop at theaters today. Hell even the "good" stuff. If the goal of acting is to make this seem like real life, why don't actors try and act and talk like people act and talk in real life? Really does seem like an art form that is dying.

 
Capella said:
Is it ok to say Bailey is kind of a jerk? Yells at the teacher, yells at the wife, yells at the kid, tells the Angel to shut up, over and over.
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No. He is a sweet guy who due to extreme circumstances acted like a jerk for one afternoon. There is a difference in being a jerk, and acting a jerk over an extremely limited time period.

 
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Cjw_55106 said:
Never watched this until about 5 years ago. Great show that holds up remarkably well given that its 70 years old.
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I just watched it for the first time last year, and thought it was a great movie. Actually darker than what I was expecting, and with flawed characters which elevates it over most other crap that rolls out this time of year.

 
Just a guess, but how much of the hate is either: 1. being force fed this movie since childhood and 2. not liking old or B&W movies in general?

I have a similar reaction to A Christmas Story, and I am sure a lot has to do with it being on all the time, everybody quoting it and claiming how hilarious it is, etc, etc. . I think that movie is horrible.

 
KarmaPolice said:
Cjw_55106 said:
Never watched this until about 5 years ago. Great show that holds up remarkably well given that its 70 years old.
Click to expand...
I just watched it for the first time last year, and thought it was a great movie. Actually darker than what I was expecting, and with flawed characters which elevates it over most other crap that rolls out this time of year.
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It wouldn't surprise me if most of the people who hate it have never watched the whole movie.

 
KarmaPolice said:
Just a guess, but how much of the hate is either: 1. being force fed this movie since childhood and 2. not liking old or B&W movies in general?
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3. Trying to prove how cool and hip they are by being "different." Like all the bow tie wearing bearded dorks you see in every "hip" commercial on TV nowadays.

 
Capella said:
On now.

I always thought he should've just took Potter's deal.
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Lol I was thinking this while watching the movie again tonight. Totally forgot I made this post and almost did it again.

Guess I'm not changing anytime soon.

 
AAABatteries said:
KarmaPolice said:
Cjw_55106 said:
Never watched this until about 5 years ago. Great show that holds up remarkably well given that its 70 years old.
Click to expand...
I just watched it for the first time last year, and thought it was a great movie. Actually darker than what I was expecting, and with flawed characters which elevates it over most other crap that rolls out this time of year.
Click to expand...
It wouldn't surprise me if most of the people who hate it have never watched the whole movie.
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Too manly to admit it moves them.

 
This is my all time favorite.

Toss in A Christmas Story, Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol (George C Scott & Mr Magoo versions in particular), Charlie Brown Christmas, Miracle On 34th Street (the one with Natalie Wood as a child), and the Boris Karloff voiced How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and what Christmas would be complete without Die Hard.

My adult kids like The Santa Clause (just the first one), Home Alone, Christmas Vacation as well as the flicks above

 
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