If you don't cry during this movie, you need digitalis

Rating: 10/10 (1 December 2003)

This movie is fabulous. Stewart and Reed come across as a couple that was meant to be together and the "what if I was never born?" question proves this point poignantly when the Angel reveals what happened to Mary without George.
Great characters abound outside of these two however. George's Uncle (Billy) is as a promoter & cheerleader for everything good but seems to be good for nothing else. Ernie the cab driver and Bert the cop are the ultimate friends (even if George's trip to the world without him). Sam Wainwright, the boy done good, who needs to be forever reminded where he came from (a point often missed by even those who have watched the film ad nauseam is that George Bailey is responsible for getting virtually every man in town a job by chiding Sam to build his new factory in town ) But Lionel Barrymore steals this picture (other than the final scene) as a man so filled with hate that he willingly does everything to ruin George Bailey.

EVERYONE OUGHT TO WATCH THIS PICTURE ONCE EVERY CHRISTMAS - in black and white