JAMES STEWART

It's a Wonderful Life DVD (2016)

© Paramount Home Entertainment
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Synopsis

Light up your Christmas this year with the timeless classic It's a Wonderful Life, starring the unforgettable James Stewart as George Bailey, alongside a superb supporting cast including Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore.

Regarded as one of cinema’s greatest achievements, It's a Wonderful Life remains the ultimate feel-good Christmas film — warm, moving and endlessly rewatchable. This beautifully presented edition includes both the colourised version and the original black-and-white masterpiece, allowing you to enjoy it exactly as you prefer.

Directed by the legendary Frank Capra, the film continues to inspire generation after generation with its message of hope, family, and the value of every life. Many purists — myself included — still favour the original B&W version, the way Capra crafted it, using its tone and shadows to create a piece of timeless cinematic art. Still, the colourised version is a fascinating companion, offering a fresh way to appreciate the film you already love.

For collectors and fans, this edition is absolutely worth owning — the perfect addition to any Christmas tradition and a definitive version of a film cherished worldwide.

George Bailey (played superbly by James Stewart) grows up in the small town of Bedford Falls, dreaming of adventure and travel, but circumstances conspire to keep him tied to his home turf. Frustrated by his life and haunted by an impending scandal, George prepares to commit suicide on Christmas Eve. A heavenly messenger (Henry Travers) arrives to show him a vision of what the world would have been like if George had never been born.

The sequence is a vivid depiction of the American Dream gone bad, and probably the wildest thing Capra ever shot. The director's triumph is to acknowledge the difficulties and disappointments of life, while affirming— in the teary-eyed final reel—his cherished values of friendship and individual achievement.

It's a Wonderful Life was not a big hit on its initial release, and it won no Oscars (Capra and Stewart were nominated), but it continues to weave a special magic for audiences around the world.

★★★★★ 5 STARS OUT OF FIVE

© Image copyright Universal Pictures

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