It’s easy to forget how intense and potentially innovating It’s a Wonderful Life really was. It’s part of the Holiday Canon. It’s a universally accepted member of the “Best Christmas movies” discussion. For those of us who still maintain a cable subscription, we’ll often catch a scene or two when it’s on between Thanksgiving and Christmas. But it’s mostly just a “remembered film.” Something that’s still in the collective conscious. With the fast-paced nature of the world today, how often do we really have time to watch a movie like this, from 1946? I got a chance to watch this movie as we cleaned the house after a long Thanksgiving week, and as we put up the Christmas tree and decorated our house for the holidays. It’s a classic film, even without its connection to Christmas. It still feels relevant 72 years later.

4.5 out of 5 stars