It's a Wonderful Life - 90's style

Rating: Null/10 (1 December 2000)

This film seems as cynical as it gets, overplaying and dumping on every American stereotype out there. Another Hollywood slap in the face to suburban America.
And sadly that's why it probably won so much recognition.
Oh sure the cinematography is excellent as is Kevin Spacey (he deserved every bit of that Oscar). But critics don't go batty over feel good movies (Forrest Gump anyone?). Nope, it needed to be downright black for it to garner this much critical hype.
But the real reason this movie is not just good, but truly great in my eyes is that in the end, it ascends above all the negativity and delivers a heartwarming punch. In these overly cynical days where Frank Capra would probably be "run out of town on a rail" it's nice to see his spirit lives on.
In short this movie is "It's a Wonderful Life" in another guise, made palatable for today's audiences.