It's a Wonderful Life (1 Viewer)

[Capella]

Bert the cop was sure trigger happy firing into that downtown crowd.

Not even getting close either. 

 

[wikkidpissah]

Well?

that was a year ago, which is forever in oldman memory time. i venture a moratorium on negativity on the Nativity, but i remember either not finishing or background finishing Westchester '73. the goals of the western and my personal ethic have very little in common and usually just dont hook me up

 

[Bull Dozier]

Not even getting close either. 

I believe he yelled "watch out!" first so all is good.

 

[Otis]

It’s on tonight on NBC. Still maybe the best film of all time.  

 

[Otis]

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.

All this. 

 

[johnnycakes]

It’s on tonight on NBC. Still the best movie ever. Some dipstick merged my great thread on this with another years ago, or deleted it, because the mods here are … well … not ideal. But whatever I posted before I still support.  Maybe the best film of all time.  

Bah humbug.  Give me Pulp Fiction or Apocalypse Now any day for some holiday cheer!

 

[Otis]

By the way the other thing about him — this is acting on another level and it’s taken a couple steps back since. He stutters and stammers and trips over his words. That’s how people ACTUALLY speak. It’s so much better than todays Hollywood BS. When people talk on a daily basis they aren’t delivering perfect Shakespearean monologues. This is how actual humans actually talk. I don’t know much about the film industry but why doesn’t some ahole in acting or directing teach this ####???  This is how it’s done.

People today are awful and stupid. 

 

[squistion]

By the way the other thing about him — this is acting on another level and it’s taken a couple steps back since. He stutters and stammers and trips over his words. That’s how people ACTUALLY speak. It’s so much better than todays Hollywood BS. When people talk on a daily basis they aren’t delivering perfect Shakespearean monologues. This is how actual humans actually talk. I don’t know much about the film industry but why doesn’t some ahole in acting or directing teach this ####???  This is how it’s done.

People today are awful and stupid. 

That wasn't acting. If you ever saw an interview that was the way he talked in real life. 

 

[Otis]

That wasn't acting. If you ever saw an interview that was the way he talked in real life. 

But it absolutely was acting. There are lines where he clearly ad libs and makes disjointed sentences the way normal (non scripted) humans speak. Guy is a fuxking genius. 

 

[KarmaPolice]

Never heard of this movie.  

 

[squistion]

But it absolutely was acting. There are lines where he clearly ad libs and makes disjointed sentences the way normal (non scripted) humans speak. Guy is a fuxking genius. 

Well, I dunno know about that:

https://www.stutteringhelp.org/content/vertigo-named-best-movie-all-time

Vertigo Named Best Movie of All-Time

Worldwide Stuttering Community is Proud of Jimmy Stewart

[...]

The fact that Oscar-winning actor James Stewart was the star of Vertigo has evoked a sense of pride in the stuttering community.

Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation, said, “This is a great moment for people who stutter all over the world. That a person who stuttered was the star of what has been named the best movie of all-time is a wonderful honor for Mr. Stewart and a proud achievement for the stuttering community. Hopefully this distinction will serve to inspire young people who stutter. Unfortunately, I am not surprised that the media has not mentioned Stewart’s stuttering in the frenzy of news reports over Vertigo. After all, for many decades James Stewart was the most well-known person who stuttered in the U.S.”

In a brilliant career in Hollywood, Stewart was nominated for an Academy Award five times, winning the Oscar for Best Actor in 1940 for The Philadelphia Story in addition to being awarded an honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement in 1985. His stuttering was one of his most well-known attributes. In a 2011 opinion piece on The King’s Speech, actor Michael Palin wrote of Stewart, “Jimmy Stewart dealt with his stutter openly and elegantly – it became a charming part of his persona.”

Adam Ward, a person who stutters, said, “There are generations of people who stutter who were told of Jimmy Stewart and recommended to emulate him. Now, so many years later, I hope he is an even bigger inspiration and role model to kids in light of the news about Vertigo.” [...]

 

[NCCommish]

Still sucks just like when it bombed in its theater run. 

 

[AAABatteries]

Still fantastic.  Love Jimmy in just about anything.

 

[Otis]

Still sucks just like when it bombed in its theater run. 

do you have bad taste in everything or just this 

 

[KarmaPolice]

Starting it now

 

[NCCommish]

do you have bad taste in everything or just this 

People have been programmed to watch this because it was free for the networks to run and run it they did ad infinitum ad nauseam. 

You want a good Christmas movie? 1951 Scrooge starring Alastair Sim in the title role. Best version of a Christmas Carol by far and best Scrooge bar none.

 

[squistion]

Still sucks just like when it bombed in its theater run. 

It actually didn't bomb, it finished among the top 10 as far as box office receipts go for the year it was released.

It was considered a failure because it lost money and didn't come anywhere close to recouping its production costs. This was primarily due to creating from scratch the fictious town of Pottersville, which cost far more than Frank Capra or the studio anticipated. 

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

It actually didn't bomb, it finished among the top 10 as far as box office receipts go for the year it was released.

It was considered a failure because it lost money and didn't come anywhere close to recouping its production costs. This was primarily due to creating from scratch the fictious town of Pottersville, which cost far more than Frank Capra or the studio anticipated. 

I think I figured you out. You're a contrarian. You never agree with anyone. About anything. 

 

[NCCommish]

It actually didn't bomb, it finished among the top 10 as far as box office receipts go for the year it was released.

It was considered a failure because it lost money and didn't come anywhere close to recouping its production costs. This was primarily due to creating from scratch the fictious town of Pottersville, which cost far more than Frank Capra or the studio anticipated. 

It bankrupted the studio, it pretty much ended Capra's career, it got mixed critical reviews and was met with a total lack of interest from the public. That's a bomb.

 

[need2know]

I think I figured you out. You're a contrarian. You never agree with anyone. About anything. 

Yup.

 

[flapgreen]

Still sucks just like when it bombed in its theater run. 

YOU suck! 

 

[squistion]

It bankrupted the studio, it pretty much ended Capra's career, it got mixed critical reviews and was met with a total lack of interest from the public. That's a bomb.

No, it did pretty well at the box office - at least I read that in some article about the movie (don't have time to research it again to verify that is true). The studio was a new start up venture, IIRC, so it couldn't really afford to lose a lot of money on their first release. It certainly did a number on Capra's career, although his next film State Of The Union, did more damage as it actually did poorly with the public, despite its stellar cast of Tracy and Hepburn. 

 

[NCCommish]

No, it did pretty well at the box office - at least I read that in some article about the movie (don't have time to research it again to verify that is true). The studio was a new start up venture, IIRC, so it couldn't really afford to lose a lot of money on their first release. It certainly did a number on Capra's career, although his next film State Of The Union, did more damage as it actually did poorly with the public, despite its stellar cast of Tracy and Hepburn. 

It wasn't top 10 it was number 26 in total box office the year it came out. So not the worst but its break even was 6.1 million and it got about half that.

And its sappy. Everything and everyone is one dimensional. There is no depth. It did win and Academy Award though, for its fake snow. 

 

[Otis]

And its sappy. Everything and everyone is one dimensional. There is no depth. It did win and Academy Award though, for its fake snow. 

did you read anything I wrote in this thread. Because it’s the opposite of this. George isn’t a perfect one dimensional hero. He’s moody; he has conflict; he’s torn between what he wants and what’s right; he yells at his wife and kids.  The entire premise is the guy almost commits suicide. One dimensional and no depth is dead wrong. 

 

[Moonlight]

No matter what I do I always cry at the ending. 

 

[Gr00vus]

Ernie = cab driver, Bert = cop. First time seeing It's a Wonderful Life yesterday, did not know Sesame Street borrowed those names.

I also enjoy the schtick in here of several of you having the same exact conversation over again every year. Almost as entertaining as the movie.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Starting it now

..and turned it off. Damn color version.  

 

[NCCommish]

Ernie = cab driver, Bert = cop. First time seeing It's a Wonderful Life yesterday, did not know Sesame Street borrowed those names.

I also enjoy the schtick in here of several of you having the same exact conversation over again every year. Almost as entertaining as the movie.

It's a Christmas tradition 

 

[NCCommish]

..and turned it off. Damn color version.  

Yeah I'm not a fan but if you are watching it it must be the black and white version. 

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Bah humbug.  Give me Pulp Fiction or Apocalypse Now any day for some holiday cheer!

Dude those aren't Christmas movies.

A better example would be Die Hard.

 

[NCCommish]

did you read anything I wrote in this thread. Because it’s the opposite of this. George isn’t a perfect one dimensional hero. He’s moody; he has conflict; he’s torn between what he wants and what’s right; he yells at his wife and kids.  The entire premise is the guy almost commits suicide. One dimensional and no depth is dead wrong. 

One guy playing against cardboard cutouts in the most predictable story ever told. 

 

[NCCommish]

Dude those aren't Christmas movies.

A better example would be Die Hard.

Die Hard the Christmas movie for the whole family.

 

[zamboni]

Ernie = cab driver, Bert = cop. First time seeing It's a Wonderful Life yesterday, did not know Sesame Street borrowed those names.

IIRC, the producers of Sesame Street always insisted it was a coincidence.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Ernie = cab driver, Bert = cop. First time seeing It's a Wonderful Life yesterday, did not know Sesame Street borrowed those names.

I also enjoy the schtick in here of several of you having the same exact conversation over again every year. Almost as entertaining as the movie.

There seems to be some question about this being true.

https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Are_Bert_and_Ernie_named_after_characters_from_It's_a_Wonderful_Life%3F

 

[Capella]

Ernie = cab driver, Bert = cop. First time seeing It's a Wonderful Life yesterday, did not know Sesame Street borrowed those names.

I also enjoy the schtick in here of several of you having the same exact conversation over again every year. Almost as entertaining as the movie.

This is how you know we’re all getting super old. 

 

[zamboni]

If you love the movie and happen to be in upstate New York, swing by the town of Seneca Falls. Was there this summer.

The town was Capra’s inspiration for the film - among other things, the town has a bridge patterned after the one George was standing on, and a pretty cool museum.

Actually celebrating the 75th anniversary of the film this week.

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

This is how you know we’re all getting super old. 

Macaulay Culkin is older now than Stewart was when It's A Wonderful Life premiered.

 

[zamboni]

Macaulay Culkin is older now than Stewart was when It's A Wonderful Life premiered.

Obligatory reaction 

 

[AAABatteries]

Ernie = cab driver, Bert = cop. First time seeing It's a Wonderful Life yesterday, did not know Sesame Street borrowed those names.

I also enjoy the schtick in here of several of you having the same exact conversation over again every year. Almost as entertaining as the movie.

Yep - it’s great the same folks coming in year after year to say it’s crap - way too invested in something they don’t like.  It’s weird.

 

[NCCommish]

Yep - it’s great the same folks coming in year after year to say it’s crap - way too invested in something they don’t like.  It’s weird.

Mainly I just do it because it's a bit of a tradition and to tweak Otis a bit.

 

[wikkidpissah]

It wasn't top 10 it was number 26 in total box office the year it came out. So not the worst but its break even was 6.1 million and it got about half that.

And its sappy. Everything and everyone is one dimensional. There is no depth. It did win and Academy Award though, for its fake snow. 

you probably prefer the alternate ending, or perhaps even the Hanukkah remake

 

[AAABatteries]

Mainly I just do it because it's a bit of a tradition and to tweak Otis a bit.

Otis just likes it because he wishes he was Mr. Potter 

 

[NCCommish]

you probably prefer the alternate ending, or perhaps even the Hanukkah remake

Alternate ending seems more like reality

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Yup.

Best part? He can’t deny it or he proves my point. 

 

[Phil Elliott]

Great movie to watch when you have a setback in life. 

 

[WDIK2]

I've never seen it.  

 

[[scooter]]

do you have bad taste in everything or just this 

People have been programmed to watch this because it was free for the networks to run and run it they did ad infinitum ad nauseam. 

This bad take was already debunked five years ago.

The fact is that the film was only in the public domain from 1974-1993, and since then has only been aired 2-3 times per year -- and yet the film continues to get high ratings every year.

Also, there have been literally thousands of movies that were in the public domain. If that's all it took to manufacture a perennial classic, don't you think that the mass media companies would have generated few more of them by now?

Also, calling it a box office bomb is like chanting "Scoreboard!" in the first quarter. Do you even know the name of the top-grossing movie of 1947? Exactly. Nobody does. Because it was sanitized pablum trite, designed to appeal to a 1940s audience. It had no staying power. (For the record, the top grossing film of 1947 was "Welcome Stranger", a vehicle for a bunch of awful Bing Crosby songs. It has a 67% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. You know how many times "Welcome Stranger" has been aired in 2021? Zero.)

IAWL was ahead of its time. The people of 1947 didn't know what they had.

 

[NCCommish]

The best part is some folks get so worked up. You'd think they own a piece of the rights.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Yeah I'm not a fan but if you are watching it it must be the black and white version. 

100%.  I've encountered this a few times on Prime where they have the crappy color version of a movie.   I just turn it off and pick something else.  

 

[Wildcat]

People have been programmed to watch this because it was free for the networks to run and run it they did ad infinitum ad nauseam.

Nonsense.  Not for me anyway. I’m 49 and just started watching it about 10 years ago.  I wanted to see what the hype was all about so I bought it on digital.  It’s great.  It’s now our Christmas Eve tradition as we wrap presents for our kids.  Always makes me tear up.  Easily my favorite Christmas movie of all time.