There's a lot to say about this film but one little bit of characterization that often gets overlooked but still hits me right in the feels is when Uncle Billy is on the verge of going to pieces and says "...searched every room, even the ones that have been locked since I lost Laura..." Gets me every time.

"To my big brother George...the richest man in town". Gets me every time. God bless you Jimmy Stewart and RIP.

I'd argue that this is the most important Christmas movie of all time.

Fun fact on Donna Reed breaking the window with a thrown stone: they had a stagehand there to break the window assuming that she couldn’t. But Ms. Donna, a former high school baseball player, hit the window on her first try.

Fantastic reaction, thank you! The thing that’s stood out to me this year is how critical Mary is to George’s happiness and success. It was her idea to use their honeymoon savings to bail out the Building and Loan. She spent the rest of the day preparing the old house for their honeymoon. She rebuilt that house single-handedly. At the end, in the critical moment, she rallied the town to save George. Frank Capra did a masterful job telling her story even with most of it not explicitly shown.

This is one of the greatest and most important movies in movie history -- at least in my opinion. It has such a deep meaning that every single living person can relate to. It has superb acting and really makes a person reflect back on their own life afterwards. I'm so glad you were finally able to experience this gem because it hits deep no matter how many times you've seen it.

George kicking the perfect, long-span bridge - him finally destroying the metaphor for his leaving Bedford Falls. Extremely deep story and film.

Gets me crying every time. Perfect Christmas movie.

Zuzu's petals at the end always gets me.

Thank you so much for a heartfelt reaction to this classic. It warms us all. Jimmy Stewart was a B-17 pilot in World War II and flew numerous missions over hostile territory. He saw the face of war, death, destruction and deprivation and was, like so many of his comrades in arms, forever changed by it. The scene where George is at the bar and asks God for help shows this new depth of character.

On Potter needing the Christmas Spirit: One of Lionel Barrymore’s other claims to fame is his annual radio broadcasts as Scrooge from the 30’s through the early 50’s. He actually has a star on the Walk of Fame for radio in addition to the one he obviously has for film.

One of my favorite lines ever: Mary: I'd like to live in it. George: I wouldn't live in it as a ghost.

Please remember that everything in the movie, the costumes, the sets, the makeup, and even the dialogue, was designed for black and white photography. When colour is added by people not involved in the original production, it is a disservice to those artists.

Remember when George asked Mary why she married him. She said so she would not be an old maid. When George asked Clearance what happened to Mary, Clearance said she was an old maid. Still crying after that all these years later.

With a woman as wonderful as Mary Baily in his life George didn't really need a guardian angel!

One of the best little bits in this is once George has never been born it stops snowing and doesn't start again until he's back

This movie is just a materpiece. I watch it every year and never get tired of it. The way that everything is set up from the beginning, and pays off perfectly... there's just so few movies EVER that are so perfectly constructed and executed. Nothing could be changed that would improve it.

10:18 That moment was unscripted. One of the crew accidentally dropped a box of props offscreen and the actor playing Uncle Billy improvised the "I'm all right, I'm all right." Frank Capra (the director) ended up tipping that crew member $10 (equivalent to $150 today) for enhancing the scene.

I'm glad you watched this in B&W. Director Frank Capra was on his death bed, begging Congress to ban colorization of classic B&W films, as the cinematography is meant to have light and shadow that does not hold up with colorization. It's an artistic achievement. Actor Jimmy Stewart testified at a Congressional hearing on this, since Capra was too ill to go and plead his case. Nothing was done, but the B&W original is the one that is among the National Film Registry for cultural, historical and aesthetic significance. I much prefer B&W, as it's the director's choice and out of respect for Capra.

Jimmy Stewart, the actor who played George, put his acting career on hold to become a bomber pilot during World War 2. He later went on to retire from the Air Force as a Brigadier General. He was a true American hero!

Clarence: "Your brother, Harry Bailey, broke through the ice and was drowned at the age of nine." George Bailey: "That's a lie! Harry Bailey went to war! He got the Congressional Medal of Honor! He saved the lives of every man on that transport!" Clarence: "Every man on that transport died. Harry wasn't there to save them, because you weren't there to save Harry.” I get a lump in my throat every time I see that scene.

Possibly the most emotional, powerful, and important movie ever made. It's utter perfection. I don't think there's a single moment where I'm not getting all emotional...

I’m so glad you chose this Addie! It’s just such a powerful film. It does a great job of showing how much of an effect just our presence has on the world let alone our love or hate. People should take more time to think about their decisions nowadays. Cheers!

This movie... no matter how many times I see it or see other react to it... always hits the emotions. There is a reason it is a classic, and why people still watch an "old black and white film even in the days of 4K video. Loved seeing you experience it Addie.

I am 58 years old and have seen this movie many times. It never fails to make me cry. ✌

James Stewart was such a wonderful actor, a legend of his time

Now you gotta watch Casablanca and expand your horizons into some of the greatest movies of all time.

A lot of old movies feel dated when you watch them but there are also a lot that are timeless, It's A Wonderful Life belongs to the latter.

My favorite scene is when George and Mary are talking to Wainwright on the phone, and George is mesmerized by the smell of Mary's hair. Trying to deny his feeling for her but is overwhelmed. That's a perfect scene.

This is one of the first films Jimmy Stewart made after returning from WW2. He was still suffering from PSTD while filming. He used his own issues as fuel for the scenes where he was cracking up. Doing those scenes helped him get over his PTSD because he got the help he needed afterward. RIP Jimmy

It's a wonderful reaction to It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Addie. It's definitely the kind of Christmas movie that we need now more than ever. I just watched the movie for the very first time, recently, and I really enjoyed it. I'm definitely looking forward to rewatching it again, but in color. The movie really has a really sweet and heartwarming message about how a single act of kindness can change others lives for better and to appreciate the life that we have, even when we face problems that leaves us feeling stressed.

$20,000 in 1945 has the purchasing power of $330,790 today. So he turned down a hell of an offer. HI Addie, terrific reaction to a fantastic film.

I'm 55, I've been crying for 50 years from this movie. Im so glad you have watched it.

Such a heart warming movie Unfortunately there are to many Mr Potters in this world. Dispite his frustration and struggles George is a good man and he felt terrible for taking it out on his family. Mary is not just beautiful but a kind loving woman and renovated the old house almost by herself. She also got everyone together to raise the missing $8000 which would be equivalent to approx $122,137.85 in 2022. Have a Wonderful Christmas Addie 🎄 🎅

This was movie making at its best. A great, fully connected story. Well executed by actors and directed in such a meaningful way to carry the story properly. Love your reactions. Merry Christmas

I subscribed when Addie had around 500 followers and THIS is the reaction I've been dying to see. It was worth the wait. Being a softie she really should be watching more of these classics. Happy holidays everyone. Cheers.

$20k when the movie was released in 1946 would be approximately $300k today. Potter was extremely rich. George being willing to turn down that money shows just how much character he had. This is indeed a major classic with a lot that can still be learned from it, even almost 80 years later.

As you were talking to us after the movie about how each life touches so many others, it occurred to me, for the first time, how George's father touched the life of everyone that George touched. 🙂 His father's _little_ building and loan (and his mother too. She got him hooked him up with Mary ☺️) Thank you, I never thought of that before and the thought brought me to thinking of my own parents' positive impact in our world. 💗

FYI-the gym with the pool under the floor was actually at Beverly Hills High School. It is still there and still used to this day.

A heart-warming scene is when George and his father are talking during dinner. It seems so real and warm, like your eavesdropping on a private conversation. The food is hot, they're eating like real people do, and his dad is making a cup of coffee; taking the lid off the sugar, adding a couple of teaspoons to his cup; stirring it; putting the lid back on the sugar; it's just so warm and tender and real. Sounds stupid I know. The other reason I like the scene is because when George tells his dad that "he's a great guy", it's that last thing he says to his dad before he would die of a stroke. I think that gets lost in the rest of the story. Of course the ending gets me everytime. When George's brother Harry says in a toast, "To my brother George; the richest man in town!", I have tears running down my cheeks.

For anyone who simply can not believe someone not having seen "It's a wonderful life" - there's a Czech fairy tale movie that came out in 1973, "Three hazelnuts for Cinderella". Since then it is famous in Germany and shown each and every year at Christmas. I was six at the time it was first broadcasted. Every year I intend to watch it, every year I just don't. For nearly 50 years now. So, yup, it can happen.

When uncle Billy walked away from the house and there is the huge, crashing noise, followed by uncle Billie, saying “I’m all right, I am all right” That was actually an accident, a crewmember knocked over a bunch of props, and it made the crashing noise, the actors response was totally improvised. When James Stewart is freaking out in front of his family, that was mostly not an act. He fought in the war and came back with horrendous PTSD, this was his first film after coming back and he was still in a really bad place. A lot of the intense emotions and his freaking out was an authentic manifestation of James Stewart’s mental health at the time.

First, this is Jimmy Stewart's first movie after he returned from war. He rose to the rank of Colonel (and later served as Brigadier General in the reserves) commanding a squadron of B-25 bombers. He suffered from PTSD from the burden of sending men to their deaths. He was in the hospital for months recovering from the experience. Lionel Barrymore convinced Stewart to do this movie. Stewart wasn't interested in going back to acting (he considered it frivolous). Barrymore told him that the nation needed movies to get back to a sense of normalcy.

Great reaction as usual Addie, loved your work from the start! A fun fact that I love about this movie is that George's friends Burt the cop and Ernie the cab driver are the inspiration for Burt and Ernie from Sesame Street! 🙂

This movie is definitely a tradition every Christmas Eve for my family. That ending always fills my heart with hope, and gratitude for the friends and family that I have.

How about that great supporting cast? 1) Gloria Grahame (Violet) who first got public notice in this film went on to a successful career including two Academy Award nominations. 2) Lionel Barrymore (Mr. Potter) was from the famous Barrymore family (that included John and Ethel) and is the great-uncle of Drew Barrymore. 3) Donna Reed (Mary) - baby boomers probably remember her from TV's The Donna Reed Show (1958 to 1966) but she also had a stellar film career including an Academy Award-winning performance as a prostitute in From Here to Eternity. 4) Thomas Mitchell (Uncle Billy) had already won an Academy Award for Stagecoach with John Wayne. 5) Sheldon Leonard (Nick) would become a successful producer of TV series - the Sheldon and Leonard characters of The Big Bang Theory were named in his honor. Longtime actors Ward Bond and Frank Faylen (Bert and Ernie) would eventually end up on TV's Wagon Train (Bond) and Dobie Gillis with Bob Denver and Tuesday Weld (Faylen), both still seen today in re-runs.

What I love about this movie is the fact that most of the movie is following George through most of his life. This allows the audience to really see the character development, fall in love with the characters, and draw more from the timeline where George does not exist. We saw the significant events that happened, but we do not see the regular events in between. We even forget through the movie some of the events that took place, or can’t draw conclusions from what is not shown on screen. The alternate timeline not only shows the impact of the significant acts like Harry, Mr. Gower, Mr. Martini, and Mary. But, it also show others that were indirectly affected like Bert, Ernie, Ma Bailey, Uncle Billy, Nick, Violet, and the rest of the town. We could all learn a lot from this movie. I bet many times we see things through George’s eyes where we only see the negative right in front of us at the time. One of the quotes that hits me now is “Strange isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole doesn’t he?” Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

George was such a selfless man, always looking out for others and making sure things went well for them. His wishing to live again, I believe, was another act of selflessness. He knew he would have to go to jail and lose all he had worked for, but he was willing to do that so that everyone else could have wonderful lives, the lives made possible by his kindness and generosity.

"Remember No Man is a Failure who has Friends". Best quote ever to live by. Gets me all the time.

Addie, The values in this movie are universal. It does not need to have state of the art special effects or even be in color. It's the story that warms the heart. Frank Capra did another movie back in 1934 called, It Happened One Night. It was the first of three films to ever win all the top five Oscars. It has held up very well and is well worth your time to check it out.

27:25 George said in the beginning" he wanted to travel and do great things"...... but, he didnt have to leave town to accomplish this. George never realized before that he- and he ALONE - kept Potter in check, which prevented the town from turning to vice and misery ... just by taking up his fathers mission,- becoming his successor, he prevented this from happening.Not to mention he saved his brother- a future war hero's life,and prevented a child from dying by a distraught pharmacist.

and yes definitely - while this movie owes its story to A CHRISTMAS CAROL, back to the future DEEEEEFFFFFFIIIIIINITELY owes its story to this movie.

I would recommend two other black-and-white films, both also starring Jimmy Stewart. The first is by the same director as this one, Frank Capra, called Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). The second is Harvey (1950).

Greatest Christmas film ever! While some people don't like that we don't see Mr. Potter face justice, I have never had to think of his fate, for Charles Dickens did it for us. Mr. Potter is the unredeemed Ebenezer Scrooge, therefore that vision of Christmas Yet to Come is Potter's fate: to die alone, with no friends or family to mourn him, and be forgotten in the local cemetery. Meanwhile, George Bailey will have a statue built of him for all he has done for the town.

After years of watching the black & white version, I finally watched the colorized version and wow! So many things just popped out of the screen that were near impossible to see before. It was like seeing it in 3D as the B&W version is so flat.

The all encompassing message here is amazing. To encompass the “ Everyman” George Bailey is not a war hero, nor even a veteran ( despite Jimmy Stewart being a vet) instead George had to sit out the war due to health reasons. In 1946 most young adult males would have served in the war. But Capra’s message is to most observers George Bailey had done nothing outstanding, nothing of note, he had wanted to build things, but we see that George had built a town and maintained a way of life. The dialogue is incredible. “ I want to build things.”. He did. Just not skyscrapers. He built on his fathers ideals and turned the Building and Loan into a successful business. Only a successful business would deposit $ 8,000 in December.

George Bailey is the perfect example for the old adage "Life is the thing that happens while you're busy making plans".

I've been tearing up watching this movie since I first saw it as a ten year old in 1978. And I'm tearing up now too. Love this movie and love your reaction to it! Clarence's last message to George has taken me through some rough times.

One of the best movies ever. Wow amazed u shed no tears in the final 9 minutes. Its very rare.

I've seen this movie countless times, and tear up every time, even with the shortened version. You did a good job of editing and included most of the important parts. Thank you.

Fun fact - the actor who plays Mr. Potter is Drew Barrymore's great uncle, Lionel Barrymore.

We need more George Baileys, and people like Mrs. Davis, the lady who asked for only $17.50.

Another cool bit of trivia … When Uncle Billy was at the party, inebriated, he leaves George on the front porch and walks off screen … when he walks off, you hear a crash … that was actually unscripted … a stage hand accidentally dropped a trash can … but the crash fit perfectly into Uncle Billy leaving in that condition so it was left in the movie.

Beautiful reaction, and you did it the right way: watching it in black & white. It's a black & white movie, the black & white cinematography is fantastic. The cheesy colorization version was done more recently; Frank Capra (the director) was totally against colorization of his films (ALL directors were). In the 80s, when many were still alive, there was an outcry about colorization and it stopped. Now they're all dead, and so they're starting it again, and it's a disgrace. In the words of Orson Welles, it's like pouring sugar water over a steak. ALWAYS watch the movies in their original black & white form. Just check on Wikipedia when ever you're watching an old movie to see if it was in black & white or color.

3:31 "We need to give Mr. Potter Christmas Spirit." That's a different movie, Addie -- and, in it, they've changed his name to Ebenezer Scrooge to protect his identity! 😝

Imagine how annoying it would be to live almost your whole life without hearing out of one ear, suddenly being able to hear out of it again, then suddenly losing the hearing in that ear once more.

I was shocked that you did not cry at the emotional ending of this film.

I love the movie but it always makes me laugh that Mary's tragic alternate reality isn't that she was the town drunk, or killed someone, or drowned, or was locked in an insane asylum, but that she was BUM BUM... unmarried!!!

It's one of the best christmas movies of all time and I recently subscribed to you. So great to see you react to this, perfect timing!

Most kids my age first saw this in our high school Film Studies class. Lots of tears being hidden on that first viewing.

A couple of the details that many do not consider: When George has the stacks of newspapers, his friend has fun pointing out that the forecast was for heavy snow, while George was proud of his brother being awarded the Medal of Honor and having dinner with the President. When Clarence showed him the world of Potterville, there was no snow. When he is in Bedford Falls, snow has been falling for hours. When Harry arrived at the house, he is arriving after receiving a telegram from Mary. He left an event in his honor hosted by the President, cited by Congress with the greatest award in the military. He piloted a plane through the mentioned snowstorm because George was in trouble. He would have had the clearances of the Commander-In-Chief for priority travel, even against weather closures.

Yes! I love that you made the Back to the Future 2 connection with the alternate 1985 vs the alternate Bedford Falls/Pottersville. The loud raucous music, the trash on the street, the collective paranoia, etc. It wasn't a coincidence. Robert Zemeckis borrowed the idea from this movie. Nice call! 😎🎄

Nobody knows how much they’ve touched somebody’s life until they were never in it to begin with. A beautiful brilliant movie that I watch every Christmas 🎅🏻

Fun fact: the scene where Uncle Billy drunkingly stumbles out of the shot and then there was a huge crash was an accident. The actor tripped over some equipment just out of the shot and the sound would have ruined the take but he stayed in character and ad-libbed the "I'm alright!" Line and the director liked it so much they kept it

I watch this movie every year on Christmas eve. I love it and yes, tears tend to flow every year as well. It's such an amazing story. As for what $20,000 a year back in 1946 woud be worth now? It would be the same as $305,344.62 today. Loved your reaction and watching you discover the magic that is this movie. Another one I enjoy is a more current movie, The Holiday. Take care and stay safe and thank you for sharing a part of your life with us.

Time for a cup of hot chocolate to enjoy while re-watching this reaction again!! I hope you have a wonderful day and a very Merry Christmas to you and your family!!

"To my big brother George...the *richest* man in town". Me: 😭 (every damn time)

A cool fact about this movie … The raven inside the Building and Loan was actually known as Jimmy the crow … Jimmy was in his first movie for director Frank Capra in 1938, that’s 8 years before this movie … Jimmy was in every movie Frank Capra directed from 1938 forward … in total, Jimmy was in over 1,000 feature films … he could actually understand several hundred words … Jimmy Stewart made the comment that Jimmy the Crow was the smartest actor on the set.

Merry Christmas, Addie!!!🎄🎄🎅🏽🎅🏽🎁🎁The Barrymore's have been in show business many years. Lionel Barrymore (Potter) is Drew Barrymore's Great-Uncle. Great outro, Addie!!!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

always watch it in black and white, the magic is lost in color.

My mother loved this movie. Even thru Chemo she made sure she watched it. She would cry when Clarence got his wings. Not long after, my mother passed away. On the way home, I heard a bell ring. My mom got her wings.

Perfect Christmas movie.

The absolute best Christmas film ever. Hands down. I've watched it countless times. The final message gets me through each year. Did you notice it NEVER snows in Pottersville ? Yes you can see it on the ground but look when George is begging to Clarence that he wants to live again - the moment it starts to snow is when you know he's back in good old Bedford Falls. The snow was a new development for the film too. Capra wanted to use live sound for the close up scenes so the usual Hollywood method - cornflakes bleached or painted in white was out as clearly any walking nearby would create unwanted sound so the special effects team came up with a brand new method. There was actually a record heatwave going on whilst the film was being made ! The Raven that Uncle Billy owns is called 'Jimmy'. He starred in 1000+ films and was quite the star - insured for the equivalent of thousands of dollars today. He's actually the 'crow' that lands on the Scarecrow in 'The Wizard of Oz'. Capra found a part for him in every film he made after 1938. Speaking of Uncle Billy, in the scene where he leaves the frame and there's a crash, a set hand dropped some equipment accidentally and the look of concern from Jimmy Stewart was genuine. Some say 'Uncle Billy' improvised the cry that he was alright, others say it was dubbed on in post. But the crash is genuine and unscripted. Jimmy Stewart was still suffering with PTSD from his WW2 service and credits this movie experience as being therapeutic. In particular, in the prayer scene it wasn't scripted for him to cry and they weren't really setup for a close up to really capture the emotion. Capra knew he couldn't replicate the emotion in a reshoot so he decided to go with the original footage and zoomed in on the negative for the final cut of the film. If you look, it looks grainier because of that but Capra thought it worked in bringing more emotion and it was certainly better than asking Jimmy to go again. Stewart is one of my favourite actors and even more so when you see this performance. So glad new generations are still enjoying this classic - and in black and white as it should be ! Please don't ever watch the godawful colourised version - it spoils a classic and every copy needs burning !

Hello, and Merry Christmas, Addie. Like you, I put off watching this movie for many years. I am 64 and just watched it for the first time last year. And was just as enchanted as you in feeling the warmth of this classic film by Frank Capra. It speaks to each of us to do better in life no matter how hard the circumstances may drive you down. That someone, somewhere can be changed by the fact that you were a part of their life. Never lose hope. Always strive to do better. And treat others as you would have them treat you. I very much enjoy watching your reactions. You are warm and genuine. Maybe next you could go to the old west after the new year. Here are a couple of suggestions. TRUE GRIT with John Wayne. TWO MULES FOR SISTER SARA or PALE RIDER.with Clint Eastwood. TOMBSTONE with Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton. Again, HAPPY 😄 HOLLIDAYS and Enjoy

I love this movie, and something you said made me look it up, yes 20,000 dollars was a lot back then, $20,000 in 1944 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $338,307.95 today, an increase of $318,307.95 over 78 years, and the $8,000 that Potter stole in 1944 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $135,323.18 today, Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he? and Remember, no man is a failure who has friends are my 2 favorite lines from this movie

4:35 Fun fact you mention the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future to visit Mr. Potter - the actor playing Mr. Potter, Lionel Barrymore (Drew’s grand uncle), had in fact played Ebenezer Scrooge on the radio every Christmas from the mid-30s to the mid-50s including the year that this movie was released, 1946.

Glad to see a fresh reaction to this film, one of the best in movie history.

I remember seeing this film for the first time when I was a cynical teenager and thinking, "meh, whatever." Now, as a much older man, I bawl like a baby every time I see it.

I just bought it on iTunes recently and it was cool seeing the Ben Burtt interview. Ben Burtt worked on the sound at Skywalker Sound of what they found in the archives while working on the restoration of the film. One of the special features was seeing a silent film made from the crew of the wrap up party of It’s a Wonderful Life.

Addie!! I'm so psyched that you are watching this!!

You are the first responder to watch this with dry eyes. I don't think I could have done that. I still have a hard time.

Such an uplifting film. So good. I’ll watch it any time of year if I’m feeling down.

The actor who played Mr. Gower was drunk during the ear slapping scene and drew blood from the poor child actor. No one shows the funniest part of the "I only wear this when I don't care how I look" scene scene. Earlier says, "I'm going home to see what the wife is doing." LOL Donna Reed played and hit a window pane one the first throw.$20,000 then is now more than $200,000.

That ending gets me every time.

I've never seen a girl watching this movie without crying before!

MUCH better in black and white than colorized!!!!! GREAT reaction!

Just found out this year that the snow in this was movie magic. The work that had to go into this film staggers me.

Always brings tears to my eyes 🥲

MERRY CHRISTMAS ADDIE!!!!!!!! And always remember no one is a failure who has friends!!!!!!!

I'm having one of those years. Happy holidays. Thanks for the reaction video.