It's A Wonderful Life - Full Reaction
Added 2021-12-21 09:40:36 +0000 UTCHey everyone! Hope you're all having a great Christmas week so far! Here is the full reaction for "It's A Wonderful Life", which we watched live with those of you who could join in. Carly and I had so much fun. As per usually I don't want to spoil our reactions in this post so I've timestamped the intro/outro. Hope you enjoy!
PS. I'll have a coming this week post out soon. With Christmas coming up this week, the schedule will be a bit off, but stay tuned!
Direct link in case the above player doesn't work.
Find your own copy to follow a long with.
Comments
First watch. The movie overall was darker than I expected. Mary looked good, whether an old maid or not. The Jimmy Stewart acting is captivating. I like the positive ending, especially George Bailey's embrace of his kids and the outpouring of support from the townspeople. Potter is arguably evil. I wanted some kind of accountability for Potter keeping the $8,000. Last night, I turned the movie off when Uncle Billy misplaced the $8,000 (equivalent to $160,000 today). He feebly counts out the money and then by chance puts it inside a newspaper and then accidentally puts that newspaper on the evil Potter’s lap. That was a little much for me -- being that careless with $160,000 in cash. And the movie is contingent on it. Yet, I decided to accept that premise and put the movie back on today. Glad I did. I think the movie's inclusion as No. 20 on the AFI Top 100 is well deserved.
Clay F
2024-12-14 21:33:58 +0000 UTCJust rewatched this tonight... still a fantastic movie and a fantastic reaction to watch with Cassie and Carly. Highly recommended for this weekend.
Andrew Rose
2023-12-24 08:52:10 +0000 UTCDon't know how many times I've seen this movie, but it gets better every time and so great to watch along with you. Seen your YT reaction a couple times but this certainly won't be the last full watchalong. Would love to hear if you've watched this your family since this first time seeing it
SeanATX
2023-12-20 05:47:07 +0000 UTCAs I thought to re-live this bit of Christmas magic, I wanted to make it even just a bit more... fun... so, I watched it again with the both of you! Thank you ladies, for the 'perfect' reaction to my all-time favorite Christmas movie tradition. This reaction helps to make 'A Wonderful Life' even more... wonderful!
Terry Yelmene
2023-12-18 03:56:24 +0000 UTCI watch this every year around Christmas. There are a lot of great Christmas movies, but this one has always been my favorite. It's one of those movies that has it all and makes one think about what's really important. I love Jimmy in every movie that I have seen him in; he is a great actor. And Donna Reed, as Mary, is so sweet and lovely, and her unconditional love for George is believable from the first time she says George Bailey, I'll love you till the day I die. I am glad you all enjoyed this. There are so many good old movies; it took me years to realize that.
Eddie Perkins
2023-12-09 16:49:53 +0000 UTCGreat reaction! I just finished watching with you. This is one of those movies where you have to go through a lot of bad moments to get to the good. But it is worth it in the end.
Ramah Mustangs
2023-11-25 03:22:29 +0000 UTCWonderful that you got to see it on the big screen. Definitely an ageless moment in time. Your comment got me thinking though...that was 75 years ago and probably the only actors left were maybe some of the children. Three of the Baily kids are still with us. Carol Coombs who played Janie is 87 and a great-grandmother! She, Karolyn Grimes who played Zuzu and Jimmy Hawkins who played Tommy were reunited in the 1990s because of renewed interest in the film. It actually wasn't very successful at the boxoffice and had rarely been seen since, and it wasn't until the copyright lapsed that they began showing it on network TV every year at Christmas. Karolyn said she was 39 when Jimmy Stewart tracked her down out of curiosity just to see how the kids were doing, and at that point she had never even seen the film. Very interesting reading how being in the movie ended up having a lasting effect on the lives of the kids and I can't help thinking that their lives would have been very different had it never been made. The American Film Institute has designated it the second most inspiring film of all time, second to "To Kill A Mockingbird"
BRT
2022-12-25 05:49:24 +0000 UTCMy gosh! Has it been a year already??? I watched this with you on the Youtube edit last year. This year I was very happy to watch the full length with you. 12 minutes in and my eyes were already starting to leak. We certainly need inspiring films like this, always have and always will. I hope you, and everyone else you've brought together here, are having a very happy holiday, be it Christmas or whatever other flavor ✨💖✨
BRT
2022-12-25 05:07:53 +0000 UTCI actually went and saw this on the big screen with my mom today but had to watch it with you tonight (I only found you this summer so I missed out last year). Its not just a tender film, its also so funny! Just an all around wonderful film with an amazing cast that will never get old. One of Christmas' best.
China Andronicus
2022-12-22 01:52:11 +0000 UTCI've watched the YouTube reaction many times, any time I need a smile. This movie is so good and yall's reactions are perfect.
Mark James
2022-09-20 21:17:29 +0000 UTCI know this about 2 months late, but if you liked this movie you should watch this commentary on YouTube: https://youtu.be/akY-UhQIpB4 It explains some of those confusing moments of “why is he acting this way?” as well as being just a really interesting philosophical analysis of the movie. I won’t watch this movie the same way anymore!
Tim H
2022-02-23 09:20:04 +0000 UTCI just watched your full reaction to this wonderful movie, my favorite of all time. Thanks for sharing. It means a lot to me, and it's a movie I watch with my daughter every year on the big screen at the American Film Institute's Silver Theater in Silver Spring, MD. It's an annual tradition for us, and my daughter, who is now 18, looks forward to it more than I do. The message is timeless. Best wishes to you and your family. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas (and that you're feeling better). (FYI - Another good Jimmy Stewart Christmas feel-good movie is "The Shop Around the Corner." I think it's one for next year!)
Eric66F
2022-01-17 22:20:06 +0000 UTCI have watched a few other reviews of this movie....yours is by far the best review. The way you presented the clips from it was the best, and your review was 100% right on.....Plus with the two of you it adds a great dynamic ..... you are the best to watch....thanks
Tim Allen
2022-01-10 20:42:48 +0000 UTCSuch a great reaction. Wish I could have been there for the live. I had not watched this movie either. Glad I did!!
Steven Ashford
2021-12-26 21:29:04 +0000 UTCSpeaking of director Frank Capra, another movie that I like of his is MEET JOHN DOE (1941) with Gary Cooper - you might recall John McClane referencing Gary Cooper in the final scene of Die Hard. Also starring Barbra Stanwyck who is so awesome, Iove her early roles.
Em McG
2021-12-26 01:19:43 +0000 UTCMerry Christmas everyone! I just watched the full reaction - which means I watched the whole thing. I've never watched the full movie before, I remember many parts but I'm sure I've never finished it = ) Nice film. The ending was well done, they just cut to the chase. The whole movie is amazing I feel like. I shed tears in many places lol, a well earned classic.
Em McG
2021-12-26 00:53:46 +0000 UTCThank you Cassie & Carly. I really wish I had watched it live with you. I'm not ashamed to admit that I may have cried harder at the end than either of you, been a rough few years and seeing this movie again - fresh through your reaction - had a very profound effect on my "seeing it again for the first time". Much love and many thanks to you both; may you and your families have a wonderful Christmas together. Sláinte, from Baltimore, MD.
Mike H
2021-12-24 09:00:05 +0000 UTCGreat reaction--I knew you'd love it! A few other classics you might want to check out next year are Christmas in Connecticut and a seldom discussed film called Holiday Affair (the 1949 version, with Robert Mitchum). Got my first house at 48, so I get what you're feeling. Merry Christmas to you both!
Stephen Riggs
2021-12-24 05:48:11 +0000 UTCHaving a reaction to The Holiday could be fun, even though you've already seen it - now that you've seen most of the movies that it references too.
Planner
2021-12-24 04:36:25 +0000 UTCI only caught the very beginning and end of the live broadcast because my wife had cooked a birthday meal for me. Loved your reaction. One of my favorite movies period. I won't watch it with my family because I cry in several places in the movie. May I suggest a rewatch party next year. I think it will be more tender to you the more times you watch it.
T J
2021-12-24 01:34:05 +0000 UTCI think James Stewart’s struggling with his own wartime trauma added another layer to why this movie couldn’t really have have been made (at least not as brilliantly) in any other era by any other director or cast. In a sense, Stewart was struggling with many of the same things George Bailey was and it was this role that got him through that difficult period in his life. His movies with Frank Capra are some of our greatest national treasures! I highly highly HIGHLY recommend Mr. Smith goes to Washington with James Stewart and Jean Arthur. True gold. And very meaningful, much like It’s a Wonderful Life! I can’t get over the double meaning of Harry Bailey’s last line. “My big brother George. The richest man in town!”. It wasn’t until that moment that George realized he had always been the richest man in town, long before there were thousands of dollars in front of him!
Jon Brown
2021-12-23 23:28:01 +0000 UTCI was just about to mention this when I saw you already did. 👍🏼
Jon Brown
2021-12-23 23:20:09 +0000 UTCJames Stewart was a full Colonel and a combat pilot in WWII and flew 20 combat missions over Germany as a leader of a B-24 squadron. The average bomber pilot only survived 8 missions before being shot down. He was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses. He lost 120 friends in the war and suffered from severe PTSD and depression - not afraid for his own life, but afraid to lose another man under his command. Stewart considered quitting acting altogether, but director Frank Capra convinced him to star in "It's A Wonderful Life", his first film after returning from the war. The breakdown you see in this film is his actual depression being worked out on screen. In interviews later in life when he discussed the problems he was having at the time, he credited this role with saving his sanity and possibly his life. He entered the Air Force Reserve and retired a Major-General (two-star) after 27 years.
Sean Novack
2021-12-23 21:58:24 +0000 UTCThe older I get, the more this movie affects me. I was very moved watching your reaction too. Jimmy Stewart aka James Stewart was iconic, but a very humble and kind man. He was also a veteran having fought in World War II. He made a few very successful movies before the war, and returned to Hollywood after the war. He stayed in the reserves, and retired as a brigadier general. Jimmy Stewart had a reputation for being a genuine nice guy. Interesting fact: He protested the colorization of It's a Wonderful Life, and asked Congress to pass a law regarding the colorization of black and white movies. He passed away in 1997 at the age of 89. The actress who played Zuzu, Karolyn Grimes, is still living.
Eric
2021-12-22 19:33:20 +0000 UTCMust be a typo. Did you mean the 1910's cause I know Lionel's brother John was at least in the early silent movies?
MikeLL
2021-12-22 19:01:01 +0000 UTCthis came first?
Cassie
2021-12-22 17:56:37 +0000 UTChahaha thank you Brian!!
Cassie
2021-12-22 17:54:01 +0000 UTCI loved this comment? thank you, i didn’t realize the water importance until you mentioned it.” Most of us have experience those chapters in my life a moment when a tornado destroys everything work for dreams ended by a nightmare but there is salvation and loving others”. SO BEAUTIFUL THANK you 🥺🥺
Cassie
2021-12-22 17:51:40 +0000 UTCwow!! thanks for sharing this :)
Cassie
2021-12-22 17:42:24 +0000 UTCthank you, this was sure a special film ❤️
Cassie
2021-12-22 17:42:03 +0000 UTCFor me it’s when he comes home, all stressed and angry, and clutches one of his boys, kissing and hugging him with desperation, and Mary realizes something is very wrong.
Catherine LW
2021-12-22 17:03:28 +0000 UTCThe actor who plays Mister Potter is Lionel Barrymore, great-grand-uncle to Drew Barrymore and part of a family that has been acting since the mid-1700s.
PaulChristopher
2021-12-22 15:11:44 +0000 UTCThe real Jimmy Stewart did a bit more during the war than ringing a few bells !
John Drake
2021-12-22 13:39:36 +0000 UTCThe scene in this movie that really moved me was George sitting at Martini's bar praying for help with the look of utter desperation. Such great acting. Gets me every time. The next James Stewart movie should be "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". Also directed by this movie's director Frank Capra
Shawn Kildal
2021-12-22 06:25:55 +0000 UTCThe names Bert and Ernie from this movie were used for Sesame Street
Shawn Kildal
2021-12-22 06:19:18 +0000 UTCThe song "White Christmas" was first heard in the classic Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire movie "Holiday Inn". The song became the biggest selling single of all time with over 60 million physical copies sold. 6 years after "Holiday Inn" and the mega success of the song reaching epic proportions, the movie "White Christmas" was created trying to capitalize on it. It's okay (in my opinion), but it's not close to "Holiday Inn"
Shawn Kildal
2021-12-22 06:17:17 +0000 UTCAnother great reaction! I’m sorry I missed the live chat. I don’t have twitch, but maybe I will now. Every time I see this movie, I love it more and more and I just saw it for the first time a few years ago. I just love George Bailey. I recently watched a movie with a couple in a store playfully teasing each other and the owner of the store said they reminded her of George and Mary Bailey and then the couple re-enacted the scene with the moon and the lasso. It was so sweet. They even tried to do Jimmy Stewart’s voice. You may have noticed that Jimmy Stewart has a very distinct voice and the way he speaks. Because he was such a big Hollywood star, a lot of people would do imitations of him. Humphrey Bogart (Casablanca) as well. Here’s looking at you kid. Both men were two of the biggest stars of their time and two of most imitated. Don’t they say imitation is the best form of flattery? Until next time… 🍿
Tara
2021-12-22 04:51:15 +0000 UTCYou should check out the “lost ending” curtesy of Saturday Night Live: https://youtu.be/vw89o0afb2A
Daniel
2021-12-22 04:37:14 +0000 UTCLoved the reaction, and I knew you girls would love it! It has so much humanity and humor. This was the world my Dad grew up in, so I have a sense of nostalgia and tenderness- it’s still somehow a way to remain connected to a long gone past. No explosions, no car chases or great special effects, but it told a beautiful story with just great acting, sensitivity and writing. The closest living actor to Jimmy Stewart is Tom Hanks - I think. It was particularly wonderful to also see Carly enjoying it - I hope you both will watch other Golden Age classics! You won’t be disappointed!
Catherine LW
2021-12-22 03:50:24 +0000 UTCWard Bond, who played the policeman, has deep connections with Western Movies. He was close friends with John Wayne, even though Wayne shot him in the ass on a hunting trip. I recognized Ward from the successful TV show Wagon Train. https://www.wideopencountry.com/ward-bond/
Grinznmore
2021-12-22 03:41:48 +0000 UTCpart christmas movie part twilight zone episode. what a combo.
rubberkidney
2021-12-22 03:14:00 +0000 UTCWell, there are a lot of amazing movies that never get the attention they deserve right out of the gate. But I disagree that it's only a Christmas movie in the final 20 minutes. It has one of the most important elements of a Christmas movie, "good will towards men" (i.e. treating other people with respect and kindness) which George Bailey has in spades, and that is one of the most vital elements of the Christmas holiday, which I think a lot of people seem to forget.
BJ Stephens
2021-12-22 01:50:43 +0000 UTCThe thing about this movie is that it became a classic. It wasn't always beloved And it didn't do well when it came out. It was played incessantly on TV later on and people fell in love with it because of that. I didn't watch it until later in adulthood. It was never a Christmas classic in my house. And honestly it took a few watches for me to end up loving it. Because as you say, it's not really a Christmas movie until the final 20 minutes or so. It ends strongly though, and it's one of those movies that makes us all reflect on our lives. And yes, Mary Bailey is a character that makes every man just go "where can I find one of those?" and "do they make them like that anymore?" 😂
Caomhan84
2021-12-22 01:15:11 +0000 UTCWell, now that you’ve finally watched this holiday classic and gotten all the tears out, you should really check out the Saturday Night Live sketch of this movie. It’s the most satisfying alternate ending ever 🤣
Julian San
2021-12-22 00:11:50 +0000 UTCThe amazing thing about this movie is that it's even better as a re-watch. Five minutes in, you're already crying because you know what's going to happen and what significance each event has on George Bailey and everyone in his life.
Alex Villarreal
2021-12-21 23:32:43 +0000 UTCThank you ladies. It was a wonderful and very touching experience watching you as you both watched It's a Wonderful Life. - Peace and Joy to You and Yours!
Terry Yelmene
2021-12-21 22:44:59 +0000 UTCSpeaking of Jimmy Stewart... Months after winning his 1941 Academy Award for best actor in “The Philadelphia Story,” Jimmy Stewart, one of the best-known actors of the day, left Hollywood and joined the US Army. He was the first big-name movie star to enlist in World War II. An accomplished private pilot, the 33-year-old Hollywood icon became a US Army Air Force aviator, earning his 2nd Lieutenant commission in early 1942. With his celebrity status and huge popularity with the American public, he was assigned to starring in recruiting films, attending rallies, and training younger pilots. Stewart, however, wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to fly combat missions in Europe, not spend time in a stateside training command. By 1944, frustrated and feeling the war was passing him by, he asked his commanding officer to transfer him to a unit deploying to Europe. His request was reluctantly granted. Stewart, now a Captain, was sent to England, where he spent the next 18 months flying B-24 Liberator bombers over Germany. Throughout his time overseas, the US Army Air Corps' top brass had tried to keep the popular movie star from flying over enemy territory. But Stewart would hear nothing of it. Determined to lead by example, he bucked the system, assigning himself to every combat mission he could. By the end of the war he was one of the most respected and decorated pilots in his unit. But his wartime service came at a high personal price. In the final months of WWII he was grounded for being “flak happy,” today called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). When he returned to the US in August 1945, Stewart was a changed man. He had lost so much weight that he looked sickly. He rarely slept, and when he did he had nightmares of planes exploding and men falling through the air screaming (in one mission alone his unit had lost 13 planes and 130 men, most of whom he knew personally). He was depressed, couldn’t focus, and refused to talk to anyone about his war experiences. His acting career was all but over. As one of Stewart's biographers put it, "Every decision he made [during the war] was going to preserve life or cost lives. He took back to Hollywood all the stress that he had built up.” In 1946 he got his break. He took the role of George Bailey, the suicidal father in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The rest is history. Actors and crew of the set realized that in many of the disturbing scenes of George Bailey unraveling in front of his family, Stewart wasn’t acting. His PTSD was being captured on film for potentially millions to see. But despite Stewart's inner turmoil, making the movie was therapeutic for the combat veteran. He would go on to become one of the most accomplished and loved actors in American history. When asked in 1941 why he wanted to leave his acting career to fly combat missions over Nazi Germany, he said, "This country's conscience is bigger than all the studios in Hollywood put together, and the time will come when we'll have to fight.” This holiday season, as many of us watch the classic Christmas film, “It’s A Wonderful Life,” it’s also a fitting time to remember the sacrifices of Jimmy Stewart and all the men who gave up so much to serve their country during wartime. We will always remember you! Postscript: While fighting in Europe, Stewart's Oscar statue was proudly displayed in his father’s Pennsylvania hardware store. Throughout his life, the beloved actor always said his father, a World War I veteran, was the person who had made the biggest impact on him. Jimmy Stewart remained in the USAF Reserve following the war, retiring as a Brigadier General in 1968. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985 and died in 1997 at the age of 89.
Eric Cable
2021-12-21 22:34:27 +0000 UTCI love the little "no faux pas" at the start by Carly. "We've had a lot of snow in the past week in Utah" whispers "They know we're in Utah?" They both have become so much more comfortable in front of the camera. It is amazing to see how the channel has progressed throughout the year.
Brian McGovern
2021-12-21 20:55:03 +0000 UTCLoved being a part of the live chat, loved watching it again, your reactions are wonderful! If you'd like a little "redemption" for Mr. Potter, you should watch another Jimmy Stewart classic "You Can't Take It With You". Mr Potter is the good guy in this one, another love story for Jimmy Stewart, plenty of drama and comedy , and in black and white!
Dave
2021-12-21 19:44:00 +0000 UTCEnjoy watching you both react to this classic. I knew you’d love it.
Stephen Aech
2021-12-21 19:34:40 +0000 UTCYay!!!!
nick bell
2021-12-21 19:19:06 +0000 UTCWestern movie bracket coming up asap!!
Cassie
2021-12-21 19:18:18 +0000 UTCWe need new polls
nick bell
2021-12-21 19:13:17 +0000 UTCThey should issue copies of It’s A Wonderful Life with this reaction as an extra! 🌠 I’ve watched it through in it’s entirety twice now (a little embarrassed to say). Broke down a couple of times remembering some tough moments in my own life. Such a life affirming movie and the commentary at the end! Thanks to you both and Merry Christmas… 🎄
Doubting Thomas
2021-12-21 19:05:21 +0000 UTCGreat film… and great actors! The character of Mr. Potter, as many old film buffs on here know, was played by Drew Barrymore’s great-uncle, Lionel Barrymore.
N M
2021-12-21 19:01:06 +0000 UTCEyes Wide Shut fits this paradigm, strangely enough. I heard Cassie mention in this video she wants to see it, but I don't think she'd enjoy it. Too many "bloop bloop" scenes.
Alex Villarreal
2021-12-21 18:56:19 +0000 UTCMy two cents? Die Hard, The Muppet Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life all have protagonists that have a dark night of the soul where their life completely changes and they redeem themselves in time for Christmas.
Alex Villarreal
2021-12-21 18:34:59 +0000 UTCFantastic job, both of you. It is a holiday classic, and it is a sentimental, feel good movie. It was great fun watching with you as well - there aren't many people that haven't watched this anymore, so finding a fresh look is amazing. Thank you. This time watching it, I tried paying attention to Frank Capra's (the Director) work, and just the lighting and all the little nuances that he put in the film, like when George is mesmerized by Mary in the old house, he almost walks through a drizzle of water and it stops him short and returns him to reality, and then he steps around and gets mesmerized again by Mary. Thank you for the journey, and I am so happy you two loved this movie - but I was almost sure you would.
Damon Corrigan
2021-12-21 17:48:20 +0000 UTCJames Stewart, who was a star even before WWII, immediately joined up and became a bomber pilot in Europe. That was extremely hazardous duty. It has been said that the emotional breakdown his character endures in this movie was the real thing (ptsd) for Mr. Stewart. He was an overall great guy from all I've read and heard. Plus, he starred in some classic movies!
OkieBoomer
2021-12-21 17:27:19 +0000 UTCI know White Christmas didn't make it in the poll but that and It's a wonderful life are my yearly must watches
Skinny_Obelix
2021-12-21 15:36:43 +0000 UTCThank you both for sharing another delightful reaction. A great man once said, "If you cannot do great things, you can do small things in a great way." Merry Christmas week everyone!!!
G
2021-12-21 15:08:30 +0000 UTCRocky Balboa and George Bailey. Not so far apart. https://www.npr.org/2012/12/20/167620418/its-a-wonderful-italian-american-life
Grinznmore
2021-12-21 14:07:06 +0000 UTCGoddamn, I ain't cried like that in a good long while. Thank you for that.
Zachary Carter
2021-12-21 13:46:08 +0000 UTCA very spiritual based movie that resonates with your soul. A story of liberty, ie free will. A precious gift given to all, and not to be squandered. The water is significant. First he risks his life by immersing himself in the icy waters for his brother. Then again to save Clarence. The result is rebirth. George is tempted several times throughout the story by the snake Mr Potter. The story gets its credibility by showing George crushed by the weight of life. He’s broken. Most of us have experienced those chapters in our life. A moment when a tornado destroys everything you worked for. Dreams ended by nightmare. But there is salvation in loving others. His wife is the glue who holds the family together. A coincidence she is Mary? Maybe this story should be watched throughout the year. Merry Christmas everyone. Now go forth and earn your wings.
Grinznmore
2021-12-21 13:31:11 +0000 UTCman what a classic this is.
MetallicOpeth
2021-12-21 13:17:07 +0000 UTCYears later, the original ending to this film was restored and aired on TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw89o0afb2A
Patrick Flanagan
2021-12-21 12:29:07 +0000 UTCI saw this live, but I want to watch it again on Christmas Eve. It's A Wonderful Reaction!
MikeLL
2021-12-21 11:29:50 +0000 UTCI know what Im watching when I get home from work
Mike Lipke
2021-12-21 10:35:34 +0000 UTCThis is just one of those must watch Christmas movies every year! Along with Die Hard of course. ;)
Doug Fisher
2021-12-21 10:34:11 +0000 UTC
