Director: Frank Capra

1946, 129, PG

Screenwriter: Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, & Frank Capra based on Philip Van Doren Stern's novel.

Cast: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Henry Travers, Lionel Barrymore, Karolyn Grimes.

 

The hallmark of a great movie is its ability to continue to have meaning – even new meaning – within its well-loved familiarity. Every year, we discover a new facet of Frank Capra’s classic holiday film, finding messages of sacrifice, love, community and hope. After another year of a pandemic and uncertainty, it is the movie’s awareness of life’s fragility and the need to come together that shine through. In that tradition, we invite you to take family and friends to see It’s A Wonderful Life at Cinestudio.

James Stewart plays a small-town guy who sacrifices his dreams to help others, only to see his optimism crushed by greed. It takes an angel-in-training named Clarence to reveal what Bedford Falls would have become without his commitment. “More than just a holiday tradition, Capra’s film is a powerful vote for the hope and change we need.”- Roger Ebert, Great Movies.

“Capra and Stewart, back home after the world nearly threw itself off a cliff knew that humanity is only as good as it is kind. Today, it bobs up to us like a message in a bottle from the past. Do not let cruelty win, it says. Reach out. Hold on. Help.” Emily VanDerWerff, New York Magazine