An interesting thing about this movie: Jimmy Stewart could have stayed home during WWII. He was "old", too tall and too underweight. He fought to join the military. His own studio even attempted to use their influence to keep him out. But he still got in, mostly because he was already a trained pilot. Initially, they just wanted him to make movies for the military (training or propaganda films), but he wouldn't have it. He eventually became a B-24 pilot and flew 20 missions. He rose to the rank of Major, and was the Operations Officer for his unit. The stresses of the war can be seen when you compare a picture of him from 1942 to that take in 1945. Stewart clearly suffered PTSD after the war and when he returned to the U.S., nobody really knew what to do with him. Frank Capra had been a vital source of making war films, such as the "Why We Fight" movies that explained the war to servicemen and civilians alike. General Marshall described Capra's work as a "godsend." But after the war, the two men were out of work. Both were seen as old news. So, when this movie was made, it blew new life into both of their careers. The irony of this film, of course, is that Stewart plays George Bailey, a man who DIDN'T go off to war.
He never talked about his individual missions. His only son (step son) was killed in Viet Nam. I recommend the book Hank & Jim about the near life time friendship between Fonda and Stewart. Two political opposites but best of friends.
That scene of Jimmy Stewart's face after that guy says, "But George, they'll vote with Potter otherwise!" is in my opinion the greatest-ever example of wordless acting. In the space of a second and a half, you can see half a dozen emotions go through him, without a work spoken or a sound uttered. Jimmy Stewart is PHENOMENAL.
I always wondered about Mr. Welsh: what kind of guy would say to his wife, "Well honey, I know you're so emotionally distraught by that guy yelling at you over the phone that you cried for an hour, but it's Christmas Eve so I'm gonna go hang out at a bar."
I always assumed it's because him arguing over the phone with George may have caused some kind of argument between the 2 and he went to the bar to cool off since she was hysterical.
I'm wondering why Mr. Martini's bar is open on Christmas Eve. Martini is Italian, and for real Italians Christmas Eve is in some ways just as important as Christmas day. It isn't likely that he'd keep the bar open that night.
@@Oppeldeldoc1 i don't either. It always pissed me off that out of everyone I wanted George to punch like Mr Potter and Mr Welch, the only person he punches is his friend Bert. I can understand why Mr Welch punched him though, I would've done the same thing if someone insulted my wife and made her cry.
Quick fact, the one award this movie won was for special effects for the realistic snow! The guy who made the fake snow would later be eaten by a shark while filming for another movie!!! The more you know!
Yeah, I saw that movie. The guy went out to catch a killer great white shark or something and the shark sinks the captain's boat and bites him in half. I think the movie was made by some kid director named Stephen Spoilberg or something. Pretty tragic.
@@Backinblackbunny009 Capra was a conservative who opposed FDR's New Deal. Nobody confused him for a socialist. It wasn't stiffed at the Oscars. 1946 was a loaded year and "The Best Years of our Lives" was simply a more impactful movie at the time (you know, right after WWII).
I love this movie, but hate that Mr. Potter not only didn't get what was coming to him, he ended up getting $8,000 of the building and loan's money. I prefer the Saturday Night Live sketch where Uncle Billy suddenly remembers that he accidentally gave the money to Potter and the whole town goes over to Potter's office and beats the shit out of him.
In the original planned ending, Clarence confronts Potter and he dies of a heart attack. I don't know why it was cut but my guess is it was too dark juxtaposed with the rest of the ending, which is joyous and uplifting. I prefer to think it still happened, just off screen.
Corey Lowe “Alright I’ll give you the money back.” “I don’t want the money I want a piece of YOU, Potter!......You’re nothing but a fraud, you’re not even a cripple!”
Yeah they earn their wings Alright... Large, Webbed, Bat Wings that you would find on Lord Dracula or other demons that serve the Devil and are nothing but bloodsucking ticks just to gain our attention.
@@DanTheMan1985ful the only bloodsucking tick trying to get the worlds attention is me! Lmao my vids Come from the dark prophet, hes the most unique youtuber on the planet.
Just as a minor point, while the whole gym/swimming pool seems all kinds of impractical, it was filmed in a real school gym with a real swimming pool under its retractable floor. It is many things, but sadly, unrealistic isn’t one of them.
Unrealistic for 1919 since the real pool was built in 1939. Also unrealistic for a frankly Podunk upper-state New York small town and not Beverly Hills CA.
Something I’m surprised wasn’t mentioned: “You remember the night we broke the windows in this old house?” You mean the night my DAD DIED? Yeah, vaguely.
Fun fact: It's a Wonderful Life was an initial failure, but the studio lost it's rights to the movie and became public domain until some time later. When it was public domain, it was broadcast on TV and that's how it became a classic.
Well not so much "lost" the rights as didn't bother to renew the copyright since it was such a loser of a film. Then after it got popular the lawyers argued that since it was a derivative work from a short story that was still copyrighted that the film itself is also still under copyright.
The fun fact is Capra used all his money in this film and bankrupted himself. The distributors didn`t believe in this film so it was a huge failure until the TV channels used it on their christmas specials for free. Then it became the huge success it deserved to be since the beginning. Anyway, I won`t disturb you.
Yep. I knew that. A Christmas Story I believe wasn't as successful either, but over time it's become a classic and possibly even more successful than It's A Wonderful Life.
I love that by the time the actual plot of this movie starts, there's less than a quarter of the movie left, and it takes another two thirds of the remaining time to accept the premise, leaving only ten minutes for the everything else, and the movie still works wonderfully.
APAL880 Yes, but I don’t see how that’s relevant? I don’t particularly care about the angel thing. That’s one of the best ideas of the movie. It’s just that the writing and acting is hot garbage
@@APAL880 How in the world did him disagreeing with the last 6 words of OP's comment indicate to you that he's an atheist? That's a huge stretch. Heck, I'm an atheist and I love this movie, but the two don't have to correlate in order to enjoy a well written film.
Well being employed full time in the dimly lit library would take a toll on her eyes. As a full time mother at home, she probably didn't even notice a need for glasses.
That she is an unhappy spinster with stuck emotions, got Liver function blocks aging her prematurely and making her need glasses. Nothing wrong there, we aren't created to live alone
GM3210 well of course he does. He’d be stupid not too. But for someone who loves cinema as much as he does (and he does, a lot of his comments on movies show that), it’s probably much more interesting as well. He clearly loves both pop culture and author cinema, and I bet it’s more enjoyable watching « it’s a wonderful life » 3 times in a row than « 2012 ».
GM3210 I feel on the contrary that it just took him a while to find his pace ; every channel, every project evolves. It never starts with its best material, there’s a learning curve. And of course there’re catchphrases ! They’re funny, and you know when they’re coming, but besides that, there are genuine remarks on narrative constructs, continuity, even the way the actors play that are really interesting. I think it does help you developing a more critical approach to movies. I honestly wish he would do some of his first videos again, because I think they were afraid to make them too long, and a lot of iconic movies got very short videos. And honestly, it’s more crowd pleasing to go after hated movies rather than beloved ones ! You’re sure to offend and piss off more people with an all time classic. And I do think they needed to challenge themselves more writing sins, which is one of the reasons they’re doing more good movies now. That being said, there are so more commercial aspects to this channel now, like the reuploading of old videos. Clever way to get more views, and I’d be more ok with it if they were upfront about that reason. I guess they don’t have much of a choice now, since TH-cam has become so competitive. It’s a shame, but until a new platform arises, I doubt it’ll change. I wish I could direct you to « Le fossoyeur de films »’s Channel (literally the movie grave digger), if you like cinema. He’s a french youtuber who has incredibly intelligent content on cinema, and absolutely deserves more visibility, but last time I checked, most of his videos didn’t have subtitles. I wanted to write some, but it’s so time consuming, and I don’t really have time lately. If you speak french and don’t know him, go for it. :)
GM3210 I willing to guess most people who watch this channel don’t care about the point you’re making because, as you said, this is raking in more views. On top of that TH-cam is his job so why wouldn’t he wanna make more money?
I like to think that two good people together make each other strive to be the best versions of themselves for and because of each other. Mary was wonderful because of her love for him and vice versa. We're better together.
In today's world, the people would complain saying, "She's not a strong female character.". Which proves that people today don't understand movies at all.
The scene showing Mary becoming an unmarried librarian spinster (at 16:56) was probably the most unbelievable part of the movie. Donna Reed was gorgeous with equal inner beauty. The notion that she wouldn't have had many other suitors in George's absence was a bit ridiculous.
I mean it is still pretty ridiculous, but it's not that she didn't have any suitors, heck she had some suitors interested in her WITH George. It was that she only truly loved George and didn't make that same connection with anyone else.
In the book, she is married to an abusive jerk. That's more believable and poignant for modern audiences, but probably wouldn't have been nearly as much of a shock to George - which is why it's changed.
When Clarence tells George he won't like what's happened to Mary, I thought she would be married to some very wealthy Industrialist and living a life of privilege and wealth in Europe. There' no way on earth that some guy wouldn't have snagged the beautiful Mary and made her his wife. George never existed in this scenario so she would have absolutely no connection to him.
For the record, I've seen this move at least a dozen times. Its a tradition in my family to watch it before Xmas. And I still love it to this day. Great vid CinemaSins.
Oh everyone will have boxing gloves and ready to punch him it's boxing day were everyone boxes each other lol even the elderly don't mess with the elderly
That would be a fun holiday and a lot less dangerous then the Purge oh you don't like this person on this day you can beat him in the streets with a boxing match but that's as far as it goes you can even fight your boss lol
Interesting fact. The kid that played young George was actually injured in that scene where his ear was bleeding. The old guy was actually drinking to make his role look more believable and when he slapped the kid on the ear like that he actually busted the kids eardrum making him bleed. That kid is a great actor to finish that scene.
That busted eardrum would make him Four F as the movie goes on to explain. My grandfather missed WWII due to a busted eardrum. Spent his life explaining that to people, too. He was a big healthy man and people resented him being home.
Omg! This movie is STILL amazing after all these years! Yes it is old, but the core of it, the love and hate of what you you have, the fear of loosing it and the realization that you have more then you thought will always be relevant!
Ironic how the channels name is "CinemaSins" but considering how many times that ring that bell, hundreds or thousands of angels get their wings every year!
I cannot believe you missed this one: When George has never been born the hearing in his ear returns, his clothing dries, his lips stops bleeding, but he's still drunk. The power of alcohol transcends time and space!!!
I'm thinking George was masking his bad mood with booze and refused to own up to being sober because he was still too pissed off. Or he was just gross, tired and crabby, not actually drunk.
@@BeeWhistler Can't be because when they go back to get his car (and find it not there) the man who's tree he hit earlier smells George's breath before he says, "You must be thinking of two other trees."
All I can think of is the “Married with Children” one where Sam Kinnison shows Al Bundy that everyone around him has a better life if he’s dead so he decides to stay alive just to ruin everyone’s day.
It is a family tradition to watch this movie every year with my parents. A few years ago, we just started joking around and made a fan theory that makes this movie really fun to watch again. Basically, a demon came to Bedford falls to try and take down the Bailey's and give Potter control over the whole town in order to lead more people into sin. Since Clarence seemed to have to wait to use his powers until someone made a wish, it would stand to reason that demons would too. The demon comes to down, and is the unexplained guy who appears in the school to tempt the other guy into opening the pool under George and Mary. This causes George and Mary to end up in the situation where Mary would throw a rock at the old house and make a wish, which the demon was then able to grant. Obviously, even though she doesn't say it, her wish is that George would stay in Bedford Falls. Everything after this is due to the wish twisting events to force George to stay in Beford Falls, which causes all kinds of interesting ideas. The demon's wish would have been responsible for everything that kept George from leaving: George's dad having a heart attack, Harry finding a wife while in college that he doesn't tell anyone about, George being too distracted by the sexual tension with Mary to invest with Sam, Uncle Billy getting the newspaper right when he did to accidentally hand over the money to Potter, and finally the demon even caused the Great Depression just to keep George from getting his Honeymoon. Basically a Literal Genie trope with a demon spin on it.
Wow, never thought of this as a crossover with Buffy, but it does explain a lot! Not a very bloody wish on Anya's part, but maybe she was tired that day.
You can recognize what's wrong with the scene and still understand things were seen differently at the time. Because I laugh at that nonsense but still cringe because... damn. I mean, what Annie saved her money for and her attitude toward marriage is her own danged business, not worried about that, but Harry whacking her tush is definitely just... awkward.
wolverinefangowings I know no movie is without sin, but the only sin of this film is that they made a shitty color tv version, this and the muppet one is such a classic that I feel they don’t deserve to be sinned, very very bold move here Edit: wait, they r reviewing the black and white one (best one) and they decide to put the color one as the Thumbnail? This is shameful
@@griffinremenicky8642 you are clearly one of the people who doesn't understand how this channel works... no movie is without sin, because they make up the "sins" even if they are legitimate complaints or things people find wrong, or not. They will turn anything into a joke. Because that's what they do they make jokes and satirize the movies to make entertaining videos. This is not a review channel, this is not AVGNerd or Nostalgia Critic, this is just 2 guys watching a movie and writing a script. A script full of whatever funny shit they can think of while watching it and then working together to create entertainment for TH-cam...
Timothy Trex3 I agree, my point is I love this movie and wish it wasn’t sinned (I’m just saying I FEEL this movie is sin free, also the biggest sin of this vid is still the thumbnail)
I'm kind of baffled that you covered all these, including some pretty nominal sins, and skipped over things like Harry's tombstone saying 1911-1919 when Clarence said he was nine when he died, or that angry guy saying "you must mean two other trees". What two trees? There's just the one tree.
You're not the only one who noticed that mistake on Harry's tombstone. I noticed that too. If Harry was really nine years old he sbould've been either born in 1910 or died in 1920.
Stephen Schaefer hm, but what if he was born January 1, 1911, and died on December 30, 1919? I mean if he made it through the entire last year save a few days, some people would still say he was 9 years old. Like in the week or so before my birthday if I'm referring to my age in normal conversation I use the age I'm turning in a few days, also to get used to saying the new number. And a lot of people like to say I'm 30 to emphasize whatever point they have about judging my life, even though I just turned 29, because people care more about making the point than being mathematically precise. And I personally would refer to someone as the next year up if they died right before their birthday, like you have to reach a specific day of commemoration just to say you made it the whole year, like any of us have a choice in if we only make it 360 days or something our last year of life didn't count? But that's just me.
Sins you missed...Young Mary says she doesn't like coconuts, but George puts coconut on her ice cream anyway. Even if all things transpired the same and young Harry still fell into the ice that day, would NO ONE else have jumped in to save him??
The way I took it was Harry was there by himself because without George, there's be no other kids around, since they were George's friends. There is a lot of supposition on the part if the audience here.
I think its because only a brother would risk life and limb to save Harry. The other kids probably been scared to death and run home to get the adults (leaving Harry to die alone).
Would Harry even slide down. Seemed he was too scared until George called him chicken. So no George means Harry wouldn't even be sliding down that hill.
As much as I absolutely love this film I always think of Jerry Stiller's line from King of Queens "With George Bailey the town couldn't be duller. But without him, there's nightclubs, casinos. It's fabulous...I wish he never had been born." 😂😂😂
The majority of children since 2007 are now born out of wedlock. And my sister has been married 10 years next month and no babies. And she was only 20 when she married. Meanwhile, I had my first kid at 19 and have had as many abortions as children. If my husband hadn't gotten snipped in 14 we'd probably have like 5 kids and as many abortions. I get pregnant from standing downwind of him.
Look at this scumbag advocating for an increased birthrate instead of our replacement by superior AI beings. For the moment I'm going to extend good faith far enough to presume you aren't trotting out a white replacement meme, even though I probably shouldn't ...
@@Backinblackbunny009Umm, I don't think an analysis of a movie like this is where you should be over-sharing about how you've had multiple abortions. But then that's just me. Merry celebration of the birth of Christ holiday!!
I always felt bad for Nick. He's the only person besides Potter who actually had it better in the George-less world. He owned the bar instead of just working as a bartender.
Yeah, financially better off but pretty much hated everyone he saw and was violent as well. I suppose the change George made is in keeping the town civil... not every person is pure down to their core in Bedford Falls, just being their better selves. Put them in a setting where they have to deal with corrupt people to get by and their darker traits rise to the surface somewhat out of necessity. So maybe he was richer Nick, but what did he do to get that way? What happened to Martini, in fact?
The gravitas of Pottersville needs to be understood in context, and I start with a blasphemy: America isn't very capitalistic. If it were, every neighborhood in America had places to work, as people would chase profit, instead social perceptions always mattered a lot. Potter brought a lot to Pottersville that was seen as lewd, unworthy for white Anglo-Saxon protestants. Playing pool was considered dirty gamling that only Hispanics and black musicians played, while "smoking funny cigarettes". Pawn shops were connected to usury. Basically in America, wholesome Christian Americans per perception only drank moderately, if at all, and never did sinful things. To the audience of the day, well, those who watched it anyway, Pottersville was hell. In this hell, he owned the bar that got honest working people drunk, lowering social moral. You're supposed to root for him making a smaller income, but without sin.
when the rich are allowed to run everything it becomes a dog eat dog world. Humans are products of their environment. If you treat a man like an animal that's how he will behave.
Even as a kid and long before "The Butterfly Effect" I was a bit doubtful that everything in the past would've lined up so neatly to show us how things would be different if George hadn't been born, but it didn't bother me that much. If Heaven wanted Harry on the ice in this alternate reality to make the point I guess they could do it. But I definitely agreed with Jeremy before Jeremy came along that the Mary part was very dubious (and patronizing); if George never existed and everything else was the same, I thought it was more likely she'd have married rich Sam Wainwright and lived a fabulously plush life, then maybe divorced him over his philandering and lived a fabulously plush life on the divorce settlement. Why would she turn into a timid mousy librarian (who for some reason needs glasses she didn't in the 'real' reality??) over not getting some guy who never existed? My real issue with the movie is it cooks the books. If the solution to George's suicidal misery is seeing how irreplaceable he is to so many people, he already knew that; it's why he takes over the Building and Loan, it's why he saves it with his honeymoon money, it's why he turns down Potter's job offer. He knows it's because of him people in town have decent homes, and that Potter has been held at least somewhat at bay. There's no way he'd think everyone would be "better off" without him; in fact, any dissatisfaction with life he feels is because he's always put others before his own dreams. Clarence's job is actually too easy. What if he'd been assigned to a suicidal person with no family, no accomplishments, who actually wouldn't be missed if he'd never existed? How would he convince HIM life is worth living? I'd like to see that movie (but of course this movie gets me every time, just like Jeremy)
Very interesting comment. That actually WOULD BE a quality movie to view. And yes, Donna Reed could get ANY man she wanted throughout life. I doubt any man would be unhappy if able to go home to that every day.
@@jayaom4946 Yeah, a lot of his videos are thinly disguised love fests for a film. There were some legit sins and unanswered questions in this film that haven't managed to bring it down and I enjoyed seeing them pointed out, but it's one of the films you could tell he really loves.
That last line after "teacher says" had me busting a gut. Fantastic sinning! I was just watching it the other night imaging all the sins you could rack up... Great job!😂
Oh, thank you, I've been saying the same things about this movie for years...espy the bit about Mary being an 'old maid'...and because George was never born, Mary ended up needing glasses?? HA HA!!
Maybe the glasses are fake. Mary in the alternate universe wore those, had no makeup on and dressed really plain. She did that because since George Bailey never existed she had no desire to marry. So she dresses that way to be less attractive to men.
Didn't they also believe back in the day that excessive reading would damage your eyesight? I assume they decided she spent all her time reading books and weakened her eyes doing it.
@@BeeWhistler Yup. Alt-Mary had glasses because she spent a lifetime reading instead of cooking and cleaning for a husband and children like a good woman should. Let this be a warning to you ladies - assume your proper womanly duties or you too will become a lonely four-eyes!
Back then, "old maid" was a gal who hadn't found a guy by her early-mid 20s. In other words, her most attractive years are already past her and she didn't attract a guy. Numerous other movies of the era back that up, like The Trouble With Harry. An "old maid" isn't an old crone or anything.
@@alexchinowsky3567 True, but coming to realize how unrealistic George's constant state of denial is on top of how cherry-picky the plot is when it comes to George's supposedly good influence as a resident of the town when he existed can sully the waters a bit.
@@FlameOnTheBeat Wrong. Republic Films used a new Supreme court ruling in 1993 that says if you hold the copyright on the source material of a movie, you're entitled to copyright your movie. Guess what? Republic had the copyright to The Greatest Gift, ie. the book the movie was based on. Republic went out and filed the paperwork and paid a nominal fee and they had the copyright on the movie back again. They then turned around and entered into an exclusive broadcast agreement of the movie with NBC in 1994.
In the short story and in the original script, Mary was.married in the alternate reality but to Sam Wainwright who had changed to a nasty younger version of Potter. The censors at the time did not want George to go after another man's wife (even though it was an alternate reality and technically he was married to Mary first.) so they changed it to her being unmarried. Reportedly, Capra admitted that her ending up unmarried was a mistake and he wished that he had stuck to his guns with the original script idea.
Ah interesting. This movie was shown constantly when I was a kid and it was one of the few black and whites that I could get into, and I didn't notice any sins at the time, except for thinking "yeah right, no way that pretty lady doesn't marry someone else..."
The Jazz King yes we do. With the countless influences on pop culture, the anime trope of rivals yelling each other’s names, the power of anime in the west, the absolute beauty of the animation, the themes in the story, and the Olympics prediction... its somehow both incredibly important and yet somehow under the radar in pop culture.
"Akira" takes place in 2019, just before Tokyo would host the Olympics (again) in 2020. Prophetic. So, "Akira" should definitely get sinned before the summer Olympics.
Pretty sure that the extended opening credits was because the people making the film wanted to make sure that the viewers knew who they were. Back then, you didn't have post-credits extras (you actually didn't have any closing credits at all), and when's the last time you've sat and watched the end credits? If you put them before the film begins, your name is guaranteed to be seen by the viewers.
Back then the only thing they showed at the end of a movie was The End title then they show a title card with the cast of the main characters. As for the extras or supporting characters they weren't listed at all. In this movie I didn't even know that Carl "Alfalfa " Switzer played the prankster.
The one thing I was hoping to be sinned was that when George discovers Harry's tomb it was in the site of the housing development that his company founded. Since Harry would have died in 1919 and the neighborhood was built in the 30s that means that George built the neighborhood over a cemetery. Also I wanted to hear a "Nick would be excellent at Cinemasins", for when he opens up the cash register and says " I'm handing out wings."
When Clarence said “She’s an old maid” I almost choked on the water I was drinking. Of all the possible horrible fates, I legit didn’t see that coming. 😂🤣😂
I love how conflicted you were over sinning the phone scene when he heard about soy beans and plastics. Yeah they were only on one date years ago....but dammit the intensity of that moment and the level of complex emotions its able to convey in multiple characters all at once is the peak accomplishment of cinematic art that all film making schools should spend at least a day on teaching how to accomplish what that one scene did.
He was dressed and put back together before his wish was granred. Thus his keys abd wallet were already checked and in place prior to him wishing he had never been born. Moot point.
At Nick's Bar: George: How old are you anyway? Clarence: Two hundred and forty two neeeeeeeext.........May Shouldn't he have had to think harder about the age part and not so long about the month?? I mean he's had lots of birthdays in May, he should know that part without thinking so long!
Watched this movie for the first time in my life, and I'm glad I did. It was amazing. I missed out on a lot of years of tradition. So, naturally, immediately after watching it, I went to its CinemaSins counterpart--I was also not disappointed.
Sin you missed - and one which has been bothering me for forty years... 16:20 "Your brother Harry … drowned at the age of nine." Then George scrapes away the snow to read the dates on the gravestone: 1911 - 1919. Harry was eight, dammit.
The main problem with this movie is that they never address the fact that Mary Hatch has evil powers and made a wish that caused Peter Bailey’s fatal stroke for the purpose of crushing George’s dreams and fulfill her personal childhood dreams. But, at least she got to go to College first
"With George Bailey the town couldn't be duller. Without him there's nightclubs, casinos, it's fabulous. I wish he never had been born." Arthur Spooner
I just watched “It Happened One Christmas” the weird sequel/remake of this movie and it made me realize that there is NOTHING wrong with this movie, it’s perfect! I’d watch the heck out of an Everything Wrong with that movie!
I thought that did get dinged? But maybe Clarence was counting from conception! I doubt modern movies have any better control of continuity; they often are giving us fewer details, so they limit their mistakes, but are also less lifelike.
@@josephfisher426 But we don't count age including conception, and he distinctly said "the age of 9" or "aged 9". I'm being really petty, but it's CinemaSins, pettiness is part of the formula.
@@bryannewcombe858 I know, but in that case I wouldn't be certain that it was not deliberate. I don't know that it was ever a European practice, though.
Another "sin" / error: George goes to Bailey Park and it's a graveyard ... with stones dating from his childhood. Earlier in the film Bailey Park is shown to be an open field. Maybe Potter redid all the streets and George got lost?
You really made me smile at 0:23. Also, I appreciate you directed no Sins at Sheldon Leonard. Looping in stuff from Rope and Vertigo at the end was funny, too.
I was a state bank examiner for 5.5 years in the 1990's. The bank examiner would inform the b & l at least a week before the examination would start so it could get the records together the examiner would be on site for at least three days before filing his report, after all the b&l has to pay for the examination it is not free. If the report states there maybe fruad the report would be sent to the banking department's legal division for review then depending on the size of the bank or s&l/b&l involved the examiner's report and work papers would be sent to the local district attorney's office or state attorney general's office to decide if someone should be charged with a crime.
The biggest mistake in this movie that I've been thinking for years -- isn't even mentioned in this review. Before George was born, the town was called Bedford Falls. So even if George hadn't been born, the town would've still been originally called bedford Falls. So then let's assume that the town was renamed Pottersville because of something George didn't do. Well that would've had to wait until George's adulthood -- perhaps after Peter Bailey died. But even that would've been a fairly involved process. Anyway, there's no way that town could've been called Pottersville for more than about 10 years. But when George calls it Bedford Falls, the guy reacts like he's never heard of Bedford Falls before. How could that be possible? He was old enough that for the majority of his life, the town was called Bedford Falls. The most he could have possibly said to George is "hey, don't you remember that we re-name the town to be Pottersville a few years ago?"
It's bc George Bailey's father didn't have the strength to keep fighting potter off after losing his only son to drowning. Bedford falls would have changed names in the 20s some 25 years earlier.
@@Backinblackbunny009 interesting take. Let's run with that a second. I'm thinking the man in the movie looked like he was about 60. So even with your assumption, he would have still lived the first 35 years of his life in Bedford Falls. I just think his reaction was wrong.
It could be that only part of Bedford Falls was renamed, like split into two towns. And this guy’s house was on the Pottersville side, maybe by only a block. So it’s not that he’d never heard of Bedford Falls, it’s that he was trying to correct George.
The problem with the butterfly effect is that there are so many variables that would change - for sake of the story and in order to have a effect on George the changes have to be meaningful to him
I am so thrilled by this commentary - can't get enough, it's almost embarrassing, I'm watching everything that pops up, I am smitten! Only David Sedaris has made me laugh like this! High praise!
"To my brother George, the richest man in town" that line gets me every. single. time. Seriously, I'm teared up just watching it here.
Watch it every year on Christmas Eve and for all the jokes I make throughout, that line gets me too!
Take off all the sins
It's all in the delivery, I suppose...
It’s just a beautiful movie
Me too
An interesting thing about this movie: Jimmy Stewart could have stayed home during WWII. He was "old", too tall and too underweight. He fought to join the military. His own studio even attempted to use their influence to keep him out. But he still got in, mostly because he was already a trained pilot. Initially, they just wanted him to make movies for the military (training or propaganda films), but he wouldn't have it. He eventually became a B-24 pilot and flew 20 missions. He rose to the rank of Major, and was the Operations Officer for his unit. The stresses of the war can be seen when you compare a picture of him from 1942 to that take in 1945.
Stewart clearly suffered PTSD after the war and when he returned to the U.S., nobody really knew what to do with him.
Frank Capra had been a vital source of making war films, such as the "Why We Fight" movies that explained the war to servicemen and civilians alike. General Marshall described Capra's work as a "godsend."
But after the war, the two men were out of work. Both were seen as old news. So, when this movie was made, it blew new life into both of their careers. The irony of this film, of course, is that Stewart plays George Bailey, a man who DIDN'T go off to war.
CW M,
Thank you for that vital piece of film history; it's much appreciated.
Jimmy Stewart specifically didn't want to do a war movie when he got back.
Additional piece of trivia regarding the PTSD, this movie clearly shows Stewart battling it.
He was an amazing man!
He never talked about his individual missions. His only son (step son) was killed in Viet Nam. I recommend the book Hank & Jim about the near life time friendship between Fonda and Stewart. Two political opposites but best of friends.
That scene of Jimmy Stewart's face after that guy says, "But George, they'll vote with Potter otherwise!" is in my opinion the greatest-ever example of wordless acting. In the space of a second and a half, you can see half a dozen emotions go through him, without a work spoken or a sound uttered. Jimmy Stewart is PHENOMENAL.
Timestamp?
@@sinistrality Yeah I don't have the movie memorized to the exact second. How do you not know the scene?
@@sinistrality6:28
Yeah it's his *I just realised i'm fcked face*
I always wondered about Mr. Welsh: what kind of guy would say to his wife, "Well honey, I know you're so emotionally distraught by that guy yelling at you over the phone that you cried for an hour, but it's Christmas Eve so I'm gonna go hang out at a bar."
I always assumed it's because him arguing over the phone with George may have caused some kind of argument between the 2 and he went to the bar to cool off since she was hysterical.
I'm wondering why Mr. Martini's bar is open on Christmas Eve. Martini is Italian, and for real Italians Christmas Eve is in some ways just as important as Christmas day. It isn't likely that he'd keep the bar open that night.
@@jongon0848 Maybe I don't approve of someone hitting George, but I always like that he sticks up for his wife.
@@Oppeldeldoc1 i don't either. It always pissed me off that out of everyone I wanted George to punch like Mr Potter and Mr Welch, the only person he punches is his friend Bert. I can understand why Mr Welch punched him though, I would've done the same thing if someone insulted my wife and made her cry.
@@maryk446 Martini probably wanted to make sure he got enough revenue so that he didn't have to go hungry.
Quick fact, the one award this movie won was for special effects for the realistic snow! The guy who made the fake snow would later be eaten by a shark while filming for another movie!!! The more you know!
Now thats a movie i would watch
Interesting.
Yeah, I saw that movie. The guy went out to catch a killer great white shark or something and the shark sinks the captain's boat and bites him in half. I think the movie was made by some kid director named Stephen Spoilberg or something. Pretty tragic.
@@Backinblackbunny009 Capra was a conservative who opposed FDR's New Deal. Nobody confused him for a socialist.
It wasn't stiffed at the Oscars. 1946 was a loaded year and "The Best Years of our Lives" was simply a more impactful movie at the time (you know, right after WWII).
I wonder if he was delicious.
I love this movie, but hate that Mr. Potter not only didn't get what was coming to him, he ended up getting $8,000 of the building and loan's money. I prefer the Saturday Night Live sketch where Uncle Billy suddenly remembers that he accidentally gave the money to Potter and the whole town goes over to Potter's office and beats the shit out of him.
Omg that's a real sketch?
In the original planned ending, Clarence confronts Potter and he dies of a heart attack. I don't know why it was cut but my guess is it was too dark juxtaposed with the rest of the ending, which is joyous and uplifting. I prefer to think it still happened, just off screen.
Corey Lowe
th-cam.com/video/vw89o0afb2A/w-d-xo.html
It’s amazing. Check it out.
Corey Lowe
“Alright I’ll give you the money back.”
“I don’t want the money I want a piece of YOU, Potter!......You’re nothing but a fraud, you’re not even a cripple!”
Seriously!!! It was so annoying to me that he just got that money...I wanted to see justice come to Potter!
Every time a sin dings, a TH-cam critic gets his wings.
wstine79 that’s right. That’s right. Atta boy Clarence
Yeah they earn their wings Alright... Large, Webbed, Bat Wings that you would find on Lord Dracula or other demons that serve the Devil and are nothing but bloodsucking ticks just to gain our attention.
DanTheMan1985ful tldr
I'm up to my twentieth pair... it's getting damn cumbersome, lemme tell you that!
@@DanTheMan1985ful the only bloodsucking tick trying to get the worlds attention is me! Lmao my vids Come from the dark prophet, hes the most unique youtuber on the planet.
Just as a minor point, while the whole gym/swimming pool seems all kinds of impractical, it was filmed in a real school gym with a real swimming pool under its retractable floor. It is many things, but sadly, unrealistic isn’t one of them.
just part of the spender of the roaring 1920's where many such impractical bits of architecture were created.
It was filmed on the lot...paved over and recovered for the filming of Star Trek 4
Unrealistic for 1919 since the real pool was built in 1939. Also unrealistic for a frankly Podunk upper-state New York small town and not Beverly Hills CA.
@@corralesmom That's awesome.
jb888888888 It was 9 years later, 1928
Something I’m surprised wasn’t mentioned:
“You remember the night we broke the windows in this old house?”
You mean the night my DAD DIED? Yeah, vaguely.
Dude 😂😂😂
🤣
Don't forget about the world's greatest flashlight.
This seems like something that would be in the review
Well to be fair if I'm remember correctly his dad only had a stroke that night. He could have died a little while later or something.
Bold of you to assume there is anything wrong with It's a Wonderful Life
Yeah this movie is too wonderful to be sinful
*NO movie is without sin* 😜😏
The tissue inducing happy ending alone should subtract 20 sins lol
He didn’t assume... he made a video specifically listing them.
@@jessicaburnette5224 hahahahaha you’re so funny
Fun fact: It's a Wonderful Life was an initial failure, but the studio lost it's rights to the movie and became public domain until some time later. When it was public domain, it was broadcast on TV and that's how it became a classic.
Well not so much "lost" the rights as didn't bother to renew the copyright since it was such a loser of a film. Then after it got popular the lawyers argued that since it was a derivative work from a short story that was still copyrighted that the film itself is also still under copyright.
Fuck industry lawyers
The fun fact is Capra used all his money in this film and bankrupted himself. The distributors didn`t believe in this film so it was a huge failure until the TV channels used it on their christmas specials for free. Then it became the huge success it deserved to be since the beginning. Anyway, I won`t disturb you.
Yep. I knew that. A Christmas Story I believe wasn't as successful either, but over time it's become a classic and possibly even more successful than It's A Wonderful Life.
Today, a copyright exists the moment a work of art is put in tangible form.
“Here’s 15 sins so don’t have to count all the continuity errors.”
Keeps counting continuity errors.
I would be fine with this if they addressed the random cuts in the middle of scenes. I love this movie but that is distracting.
Ding!
He lost continuity regarding not counting continuity errors.
I love that by the time the actual plot of this movie starts, there's less than a quarter of the movie left, and it takes another two thirds of the remaining time to accept the premise, leaving only ten minutes for the everything else, and the movie still works wonderfully.
Nathaniel Olds I agree with you up until the last 6 words of your comment
@@climateanxiety3349 are you an atheist?
APAL880 Yes, but I don’t see how that’s relevant? I don’t particularly care about the angel thing. That’s one of the best ideas of the movie. It’s just that the writing and acting is hot garbage
APAL880 lmao you were right nice
@@APAL880 How in the world did him disagreeing with the last 6 words of OP's comment indicate to you that he's an atheist? That's a huge stretch. Heck, I'm an atheist and I love this movie, but the two don't have to correlate in order to enjoy a well written film.
Sin: Mary needs glasses when George doesn't exist. What goes wrong with Mary's eyes in this alternative timeline?!
Well being employed full time in the dimly lit library would take a toll on her eyes. As a full time mother at home, she probably didn't even notice a need for glasses.
Because everyone knows that in movies since the beginning of time, girl wearing glasses = girl that is ugly
@@goodnewsgeek42 these days its sexy lol
Because when you hit your late 30's to early 40's, the age they are at this time, the need for reading glasses is apparent especially for a librarian
That she is an unhappy spinster with stuck emotions, got Liver function blocks aging her prematurely and making her need glasses. Nothing wrong there, we aren't created to live alone
Me tearing up during the scene at the end DURING CinemaSins...Ding!
Book shown in intro
CinemaSins: so you have chosen death...
I just had to watch this movie in class a few weeks ago for an essay and loved this movie. I am.... disappointed with this video to say the least
What a well thought out and original comment. /s
It's a wonderful life is one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time
Without that movie
Christmas wouldn't exist
How did you get the font for your name that's cool
@Theresa Stevens ikr
"And to anyone shocked we would sin a movie this beloved and revered... well, you must be new here."
"No Movie is without sin"
@GM3210 And because it's more interesting. It's easy to shoot down a bad movie, it's interesting to see the shortcomings of a great one.
GM3210 well of course he does. He’d be stupid not too.
But for someone who loves cinema as much as he does (and he does, a lot of his comments on movies show that), it’s probably much more interesting as well. He clearly loves both pop culture and author cinema, and I bet it’s more enjoyable watching « it’s a wonderful life » 3 times in a row than « 2012 ».
GM3210 I feel on the contrary that it just took him a while to find his pace ; every channel, every project evolves. It never starts with its best material, there’s a learning curve.
And of course there’re catchphrases ! They’re funny, and you know when they’re coming, but besides that, there are genuine remarks on narrative constructs, continuity, even the way the actors play that are really interesting.
I think it does help you developing a more critical approach to movies.
I honestly wish he would do some of his first videos again, because I think they were afraid to make them too long, and a lot of iconic movies got very short videos.
And honestly, it’s more crowd pleasing to go after hated movies rather than beloved ones ! You’re sure to offend and piss off more people with an all time classic. And I do think they needed to challenge themselves more writing sins, which is one of the reasons they’re doing more good movies now.
That being said, there are so more commercial aspects to this channel now, like the reuploading of old videos. Clever way to get more views, and I’d be more ok with it if they were upfront about that reason.
I guess they don’t have much of a choice now, since TH-cam has become so competitive. It’s a shame, but until a new platform arises, I doubt it’ll change.
I wish I could direct you to « Le fossoyeur de films »’s Channel (literally the movie grave digger), if you like cinema. He’s a french youtuber who has incredibly intelligent content on cinema, and absolutely deserves more visibility, but last time I checked, most of his videos didn’t have subtitles. I wanted to write some, but it’s so time consuming, and I don’t really have time lately. If you speak french and don’t know him, go for it. :)
GM3210 I willing to guess most people who watch this channel don’t care about the point you’re making because, as you said, this is raking in more views. On top of that TH-cam is his job so why wouldn’t he wanna make more money?
I've watched this movie every year at least once for my entire life.
"Zuzu's petals!" still makes me cry.
They’re right Mary is the hero of the film. George is lucky to have her.
I like to think that two good people together make each other strive to be the best versions of themselves for and because of each other. Mary was wonderful because of her love for him and vice versa. We're better together.
And he realized it all long.....
Mary wearing the baseball cap as they're loading the Martini's into the car is the most attracted I have ever been to a woman
In today's world, the people would complain saying, "She's not a strong female character.". Which proves that people today don't understand movies at all.
*heroine
The scene showing Mary becoming an unmarried librarian spinster (at 16:56) was probably the most unbelievable part of the movie. Donna Reed was gorgeous with equal inner beauty. The notion that she wouldn't have had many other suitors in George's absence was a bit ridiculous.
TRUE! Donna Reed was one of the most gorgeous women ever born
I mean it is still pretty ridiculous, but it's not that she didn't have any suitors, heck she had some suitors interested in her WITH George. It was that she only truly loved George and didn't make that same connection with anyone else.
In the book, she is married to an abusive jerk. That's more believable and poignant for modern audiences, but probably wouldn't have been nearly as much of a shock to George - which is why it's changed.
Yeah, someone had suggested that Potter took away most indoor lighting for Mary's eyesight to get so poor as to need glasses.
When Clarence tells George he won't like what's happened to Mary, I thought she would be married to some very wealthy Industrialist and living a life of privilege and wealth in Europe. There' no way on earth that some guy wouldn't have snagged the beautiful Mary and made her his wife. George never existed in this scenario so she would have absolutely no connection to him.
The muppets and now it's a wonderful life?
Who hurt you this Christmas?
Gareth Battersby santa
@@jinx1987 no it’s th3birdman
For the record, I've seen this move at least a dozen times. Its a tradition in my family to watch it before Xmas. And I still love it to this day. Great vid CinemaSins.
I see you chose to have a mob at your door for christmas and a riot for boxing day. Brave guys.
Oh everyone will have boxing gloves and ready to punch him it's boxing day were everyone boxes each other lol even the elderly don't mess with the elderly
@@supernova582 awe, I missed the opportunity to make a boxing joke. Well played.
That would be a fun holiday and a lot less dangerous then the Purge oh you don't like this person on this day you can beat him in the streets with a boxing match but that's as far as it goes you can even fight your boss lol
Interesting fact. The kid that played young George was actually injured in that scene where his ear was bleeding. The old guy was actually drinking to make his role look more believable and when he slapped the kid on the ear like that he actually busted the kids eardrum making him bleed. That kid is a great actor to finish that scene.
I heard that and was hoping it wasn't true. It explains a lot but it's so sad!
@@BeeWhistler yea but also that kid just kept going. He deserves a long award for his performance there
That’s a made-up story that has been passed around for years.
That busted eardrum would make him Four F as the movie goes on to explain. My grandfather missed WWII due to a busted eardrum. Spent his life explaining that to people, too. He was a big healthy man and people resented him being home.
Omg!
This movie is STILL amazing after all these years!
Yes it is old, but the core of it, the love and hate of what you you have, the fear of loosing it and the realization that you have more then you thought will always be relevant!
Ironic how the channels name is "CinemaSins" but considering how many times that ring that bell, hundreds or thousands of angels get their wings every year!
Get me! I'm crankin' out wings!
Just imagine the heavenly cheering from the Home Alone 2 video!
There would be a standing ovation
CinemaWings!
Or maybe since it's a Sins channel, it ain't exactly angels that get promoted...
I cannot believe you missed this one: When George has never been born the hearing in his ear returns, his clothing dries, his lips stops bleeding, but he's still drunk. The power of alcohol transcends time and space!!!
Does it ever!
Thats why alcohol used to be called spirits.
I'm thinking George was masking his bad mood with booze and refused to own up to being sober because he was still too pissed off. Or he was just gross, tired and crabby, not actually drunk.
@@BeeWhistler Can't be because when they go back to get his car (and find it not there) the man who's tree he hit earlier smells George's breath before he says, "You must be thinking of two other trees."
wait was he drunk? lol
This is a crime. I’m still going to watch this. But you know what you did.
All I can think of is the “Married with Children” one where Sam Kinnison shows Al Bundy that everyone around him has a better life if he’s dead so he decides to stay alive just to ruin everyone’s day.
Its a Bundyful life.
I saw It’s A Wonderful Life for the first time today and I thought so this is where Married With Children got the idea!
Blackadder did a similar parody of A Christmas Carol, also cynical and very funny!
I remember Beavis & Butthead parody of this movie
@@fep_ptcp883 Me too. That is a great special epidsode. I think I have to rewatch it in the next days....
“You’ve had A WONDERFUL LIFE”
*Roll Zuzu’s petals!*
That killed me!
It is a family tradition to watch this movie every year with my parents. A few years ago, we just started joking around and made a fan theory that makes this movie really fun to watch again. Basically, a demon came to Bedford falls to try and take down the Bailey's and give Potter control over the whole town in order to lead more people into sin. Since Clarence seemed to have to wait to use his powers until someone made a wish, it would stand to reason that demons would too. The demon comes to down, and is the unexplained guy who appears in the school to tempt the other guy into opening the pool under George and Mary. This causes George and Mary to end up in the situation where Mary would throw a rock at the old house and make a wish, which the demon was then able to grant.
Obviously, even though she doesn't say it, her wish is that George would stay in Bedford Falls. Everything after this is due to the wish twisting events to force George to stay in Beford Falls, which causes all kinds of interesting ideas. The demon's wish would have been responsible for everything that kept George from leaving: George's dad having a heart attack, Harry finding a wife while in college that he doesn't tell anyone about, George being too distracted by the sexual tension with Mary to invest with Sam, Uncle Billy getting the newspaper right when he did to accidentally hand over the money to Potter, and finally the demon even caused the Great Depression just to keep George from getting his Honeymoon. Basically a Literal Genie trope with a demon spin on it.
Wow, never thought of this as a crossover with Buffy, but it does explain a lot! Not a very bloody wish on Anya's part, but maybe she was tired that day.
Meanwhile another angel thinks,"nah,these people are too happy,we can't have that...
Hail Satan!"
Do you not know that pool is a real thing? It’s located at Beverly Hills High School and reportedly still in use.
you know these are Jokes Right?
@@Vincent_Beers Pretty cool that it's still in use, though. I appreciate the trivia even if it was in the form of a patronizing remark.
Still killing kids after all these years.
@@BeeWhistler Yeah, I don't, OP didn't have to present it like that. What a waste of energy.
@GM3210 Does that magically make it not a joke now?
Clarence: Every time a bell rings, and angel gets his wings
Cinemasins: Hold my harp...
I love the line “this is all kinds of ists”
Reminds me of his Blade II video, where he reacted to one moment with "That's several things-ist".
"Harry broke through the ice, died at the age of 9"
Tombstone reads: 1911-1919.
That’s some home alone 2 shit
Also at 16:53 the gravestone clearly says 1911-1919. That means Harry couldn’t have been 9 years old when he died.
Yeah that was the only mistake inoticed when i watched the film
Eh, chalk it up to the tombstone engraver missing a detail.
@@musmus-culus I'm pretty sure that's what the person just said.
I am profoundly disappointed you didn't make a Bert and Ernie joke.
Watch the outtakes at the end
Audio outakes
@@bbarrett726 That was a voice over. I was talking about in the video proper. Besides, I'm joking.
@@dats3 You joked about a joke. Here's your certificate of redundancy certificate!
@@Jeff98177 Thank you. I humbly accept and thank all the members of the academy for this honor.
This is all kinds of 'ists'. Gold.
Especially how she gives him a boatload of money at the end from her "Divorce-In-Case-I-Ever-Got-Married-Fund". Yikes!
Jesus, cry some more.
LOL.
You can recognize what's wrong with the scene and still understand things were seen differently at the time. Because I laugh at that nonsense but still cringe because... damn. I mean, what Annie saved her money for and her attitude toward marriage is her own danged business, not worried about that, but Harry whacking her tush is definitely just... awkward.
Sexist, kind of racist, anti-feminist... I’m sure there’s others.
Muppet Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life on back to back videos? Bold, Cinemasins. Bold.
wolverinefangowings I know no movie is without sin, but the only sin of this film is that they made a shitty color tv version, this and the muppet one is such a classic that I feel they don’t deserve to be sinned, very very bold move here
Edit: wait, they r reviewing the black and white one (best one) and they decide to put the color one as the Thumbnail? This is shameful
Let's see if it pays off for them.
@@griffinremenicky8642 you are clearly one of the people who doesn't understand how this channel works... no movie is without sin, because they make up the "sins" even if they are legitimate complaints or things people find wrong, or not. They will turn anything into a joke. Because that's what they do they make jokes and satirize the movies to make entertaining videos. This is not a review channel, this is not AVGNerd or Nostalgia Critic, this is just 2 guys watching a movie and writing a script. A script full of whatever funny shit they can think of while watching it and then working together to create entertainment for TH-cam...
Timothy Trex3 I agree, my point is I love this movie and wish it wasn’t sinned (I’m just saying I FEEL this movie is sin free, also the biggest sin of this vid is still the thumbnail)
“AND inspire the fourth Shrek movie and I CANNOT FORGIVE THAT”
Schaffrillas Producitons would like a word with you
Donna Reed was so beautiful!!! Even when they tried to “frump” her up
And whoever the blonde is! OMG! 😍😍😍
@@williamhamilton8438 Gloria Grahame?
@@HAL-vm3wn ...thanks took 7 months but now I can look up some pics...
She was beautiful if George didn't exist Mary had lots of suitors she could of marry
I'm kind of baffled that you covered all these, including some pretty nominal sins, and skipped over things like Harry's tombstone saying 1911-1919 when Clarence said he was nine when he died, or that angry guy saying "you must mean two other trees". What two trees? There's just the one tree.
You're not the only one who noticed that mistake on Harry's tombstone. I noticed that too. If Harry was really nine years old he sbould've been either born in 1910 or died in 1920.
The man says the two other trees remark because he's assuming that George is drunk and seeing double.
@@RoulinBrooks Correct. Not a sin.
Stephen Schaefer hm, but what if he was born January 1, 1911, and died on December 30, 1919? I mean if he made it through the entire last year save a few days, some people would still say he was 9 years old. Like in the week or so before my birthday if I'm referring to my age in normal conversation I use the age I'm turning in a few days, also to get used to saying the new number. And a lot of people like to say I'm 30 to emphasize whatever point they have about judging my life, even though I just turned 29, because people care more about making the point than being mathematically precise. And I personally would refer to someone as the next year up if they died right before their birthday, like you have to reach a specific day of commemoration just to say you made it the whole year, like any of us have a choice in if we only make it 360 days or something our last year of life didn't count? But that's just me.
They handed out 15 sins to cover the continuity errors-Ya missed that bit?
Sins you missed...Young Mary says she doesn't like coconuts, but George puts coconut on her ice cream anyway.
Even if all things transpired the same and young Harry still fell into the ice that day, would NO ONE else have jumped in to save him??
The way I took it was Harry was there by himself because without George, there's be no other kids around, since they were George's friends.
There is a lot of supposition on the part if the audience here.
I think its because only a brother would risk life and limb to save Harry.
The other kids probably been scared to death and run home to get the adults (leaving Harry to die alone).
Would Harry even slide down. Seemed he was too scared until George called him chicken. So no George means Harry wouldn't even be sliding down that hill.
Every time a bell rings a angel gets it's wings & Every time a film is sinned, a critic gets a column.
As much as I absolutely love this film I always think of Jerry Stiller's line from King of Queens
"With George Bailey the town couldn't be duller. But without him, there's nightclubs, casinos. It's fabulous...I wish he never had been born."
😂😂😂
“Could you imagine a woman that never marries, god save us all from this apocalypse”
The current birth rate: yes please
Marriage doesn't equal having kids, you can get married and still not have kids. And shit ton of kids these days are born out of wedlock anyways.
The majority of children since 2007 are now born out of wedlock. And my sister has been married 10 years next month and no babies. And she was only 20 when she married. Meanwhile, I had my first kid at 19 and have had as many abortions as children. If my husband hadn't gotten snipped in 14 we'd probably have like 5 kids and as many abortions. I get pregnant from standing downwind of him.
Look at this scumbag advocating for an increased birthrate instead of our replacement by superior AI beings. For the moment I'm going to extend good faith far enough to presume you aren't trotting out a white replacement meme, even though I probably shouldn't ...
Eh, we live in a society where people generally have more freedom. A lot of people don't see the point in marriage, and a lot don't want kids.
@@Backinblackbunny009Umm, I don't think an analysis of a movie like this is where you should be over-sharing about how you've had multiple abortions. But then that's just me. Merry celebration of the birth of Christ holiday!!
I love the “every time a sin is dinged an angel gets its wings” moment.
I always felt bad for Nick. He's the only person besides Potter who actually had it better in the George-less world. He owned the bar instead of just working as a bartender.
He looked like he was in the mob. Had some goons watching the door. lol
Yeah, financially better off but pretty much hated everyone he saw and was violent as well. I suppose the change George made is in keeping the town civil... not every person is pure down to their core in Bedford Falls, just being their better selves. Put them in a setting where they have to deal with corrupt people to get by and their darker traits rise to the surface somewhat out of necessity. So maybe he was richer Nick, but what did he do to get that way? What happened to Martini, in fact?
The gravitas of Pottersville needs to be understood in context, and I start with a blasphemy: America isn't very capitalistic. If it were, every neighborhood in America had places to work, as people would chase profit, instead social perceptions always mattered a lot.
Potter brought a lot to Pottersville that was seen as lewd, unworthy for white Anglo-Saxon protestants. Playing pool was considered dirty gamling that only Hispanics and black musicians played, while "smoking funny cigarettes". Pawn shops were connected to usury. Basically in America, wholesome Christian Americans per perception only drank moderately, if at all, and never did sinful things.
To the audience of the day, well, those who watched it anyway, Pottersville was hell. In this hell, he owned the bar that got honest working people drunk, lowering social moral. You're supposed to root for him making a smaller income, but without sin.
@@BeeWhistler Yeah, I've always wondered what happened to Martini too.
when the rich are allowed to run everything it becomes a dog eat dog world. Humans are products of their environment. If you treat a man like an animal that's how he will behave.
You’re really banking on that “No movie is without sin” thing aren’t you 😂
"Is the one harem for love-making and the other for all the kinky shit the other harem won't do?"
Yes.
God: "I forgot, you don't have your wings yet."
Me: "how does an angel's vision improve or falter with or without wings?"
Whats funny and amazing is I actually watched this movie for the first time, start to finish last night. Lmao what timing.
What did ya think of it?
SAME it's like they're in my head 😅
Cosmic Clarence would be stellar at CinemaSins
"I could easily give him more intelligence, but then he'd stop believing in Me" ohhhh I felt THAT lol
2:25 - The "no-maj Potter" joke had me rolling on the floor, laughing!
Imagine if Potter's first name was "Harry"!
Even as a kid and long before "The Butterfly Effect" I was a bit doubtful that everything in the past would've lined up so neatly to show us how things would be different if George hadn't been born, but it didn't bother me that much. If Heaven wanted Harry on the ice in this alternate reality to make the point I guess they could do it. But I definitely agreed with Jeremy before Jeremy came along that the Mary part was very dubious (and patronizing); if George never existed and everything else was the same, I thought it was more likely she'd have married rich Sam Wainwright and lived a fabulously plush life, then maybe divorced him over his philandering and lived a fabulously plush life on the divorce settlement. Why would she turn into a timid mousy librarian (who for some reason needs glasses she didn't in the 'real' reality??) over not getting some guy who never existed?
My real issue with the movie is it cooks the books. If the solution to George's suicidal misery is seeing how irreplaceable he is to so many people, he already knew that; it's why he takes over the Building and Loan, it's why he saves it with his honeymoon money, it's why he turns down Potter's job offer. He knows it's because of him people in town have decent homes, and that Potter has been held at least somewhat at bay. There's no way he'd think everyone would be "better off" without him; in fact, any dissatisfaction with life he feels is because he's always put others before his own dreams.
Clarence's job is actually too easy. What if he'd been assigned to a suicidal person with no family, no accomplishments, who actually wouldn't be missed if he'd never existed? How would he convince HIM life is worth living? I'd like to see that movie (but of course this movie gets me every time, just like Jeremy)
Very interesting comment. That actually WOULD BE a quality movie to view. And yes, Donna Reed could get ANY man she wanted throughout life. I doubt any man would be unhappy if able to go home to that every day.
i told my mom you made this and it’s her favorite movie of all time... she’s not happy you made this
It's one of my favorites and I love it when cinemasins does a video about one of my favorites!!!!
@@jayaom4946 Yeah, a lot of his videos are thinly disguised love fests for a film. There were some legit sins and unanswered questions in this film that haven't managed to bring it down and I enjoyed seeing them pointed out, but it's one of the films you could tell he really loves.
It's my mom's favorite too.
I loved that nod to MST3K at 0:24
This movie is so good - it’s the first time I’ve ever cried watching Cinema Sins!
That last line after "teacher says" had me busting a gut. Fantastic sinning! I was just watching it the other night imaging all the sins you could rack up... Great job!😂
"In the not too distant future...next Sunday A.D." MST3K reference is a win!
Oh, thank you, I've been saying the same things about this movie for years...espy the bit about Mary being an 'old maid'...and because George was never born, Mary ended up needing glasses?? HA HA!!
Maybe the glasses are fake. Mary in the alternate universe wore those, had no makeup on and dressed really plain. She did that because since George Bailey never existed she had no desire to marry. So she dresses that way to be less attractive to men.
@@melissacooper4482 And yet, she was still hot.
Didn't they also believe back in the day that excessive reading would damage your eyesight? I assume they decided she spent all her time reading books and weakened her eyes doing it.
@@BeeWhistler Yup. Alt-Mary had glasses because she spent a lifetime reading instead of cooking and cleaning for a husband and children like a good woman should. Let this be a warning to you ladies - assume your proper womanly duties or you too will become a lonely four-eyes!
Back then, "old maid" was a gal who hadn't found a guy by her early-mid 20s. In other words, her most attractive years are already past her and she didn't attract a guy. Numerous other movies of the era back that up, like The Trouble With Harry. An "old maid" isn't an old crone or anything.
Don't care, I absolutely love this movie.
@@FlameOnTheBeat that doesn't make it not a great movie
@Wolf Lover Have you? That wasn't Sarcasm in any way shape or form
@@alexchinowsky3567 True, but coming to realize how unrealistic George's constant state of denial is on top of how cherry-picky the plot is when it comes to George's supposedly good influence as a resident of the town when he existed can sully the waters a bit.
@@FlameOnTheBeat Wrong. Republic Films used a new Supreme court ruling in 1993 that says if you hold the copyright on the source material of a movie, you're entitled to copyright your movie. Guess what? Republic had the copyright to The Greatest Gift, ie. the book the movie was based on. Republic went out and filed the paperwork and paid a nominal fee and they had the copyright on the movie back again. They then turned around and entered into an exclusive broadcast agreement of the movie with NBC in 1994.
@Wolf Lover I wasn't talking about the video I was specifically responding to someone
This is my favorite Christmas movie
"Everytime a bell rings, an angel gets his wings."
*All Sins Removed*
In the short story and in the original script, Mary was.married in the alternate reality but to Sam Wainwright who had changed to a nasty younger version of Potter. The censors at the time did not want George to go after another man's wife (even though it was an alternate reality and technically he was married to Mary first.) so they changed it to her being unmarried. Reportedly, Capra admitted that her ending up unmarried was a mistake and he wished that he had stuck to his guns with the original script idea.
Ah interesting. This movie was shown constantly when I was a kid and it was one of the few black and whites that I could get into, and I didn't notice any sins at the time, except for thinking "yeah right, no way that pretty lady doesn't marry someone else..."
Please do Akira before the year ends.
I need an honest trailer for this.
The Jazz King yes we do. With the countless influences on pop culture, the anime trope of rivals yelling each other’s names, the power of anime in the west, the absolute beauty of the animation, the themes in the story, and the Olympics prediction... its somehow both incredibly important and yet somehow under the radar in pop culture.
@@avatarmikephantom153
As a kid this blew my mind.
"Akira" takes place in 2019, just before Tokyo would host the Olympics (again) in 2020. Prophetic. So, "Akira" should definitely get sinned before the summer Olympics.
Pretty sure that the extended opening credits was because the people making the film wanted to make sure that the viewers knew who they were. Back then, you didn't have post-credits extras (you actually didn't have any closing credits at all), and when's the last time you've sat and watched the end credits? If you put them before the film begins, your name is guaranteed to be seen by the viewers.
There were opening credits in most movies up until maybe 15 or 20 years ago. Pushing everything to the end is a fairly recent trend.
Back then the only thing they showed at the end of a movie was The End title then they show a title card with the cast of the main characters. As for the extras or supporting characters they weren't listed at all. In this movie I didn't even know that Carl "Alfalfa " Switzer played the prankster.
I always watch the credits.
@Life of Rach Ironically, George Lucas got in trouble for *not* having opening credits in the first Star Wars movie.
It's funny how when George and his dad are in the dinning room talking, you hear a dog barking but never see the dog.
No shit Sherlock, you always see a dog when you hear barks?
Holy shit that is the most hilarious thing ever.
They probably didn't need to get $20, even with medical bills. We have the canceled check for my uncles delivery who was born in 1928. It was $5.
It would be something like 92 dollars today
Why is old man Potter being transported around by a horse when everyone else has a car?
Mr. Gower: "Let me taste this to see if it's cyanide."
Now please do Everything Wrong With The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile!!!! You can throw The Godfather in there as well.
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And Sneakers. They've certainly referenced these movies enough.
And The Fugitive
I'm still waiting for them to grow big enough balls to do Shindler's List.
I think he already did shawshank redemption but he might need to reupload it
As much I love Cinemasins, I love this movie even more. So, I am going to deduct all Jeremy's sins without even watching it. Happy Holidays everyone!
The one thing I was hoping to be sinned was that when George discovers Harry's tomb it was in the site of the housing development that his company founded. Since Harry would have died in 1919 and the neighborhood was built in the 30s that means that George built the neighborhood over a cemetery.
Also I wanted to hear a "Nick would be excellent at Cinemasins", for when he opens up the cash register and says " I'm handing out wings."
A tactic later used by Teague and Associates in Poltergeist. 😀
When Clarence said “She’s an old maid” I almost choked on the water I was drinking. Of all the possible horrible fates, I legit didn’t see that coming. 😂🤣😂
Glad to know even Jeremy isn’t immune to “To my big brother George - the richest man in town.”
I AM crying and you’re crying too.
Pretty little sentiments don't change reality. Stupid movie, insufferable platitude.
Ryan Murphy I don’t know, I’d say you’re the insufferable one if you’re going to be this rude and condescending over a subjective movie opinion
I’m not crying! That’s just some dust in my eye!
Agreed, couldn't keep my composure even during this video.
I love how conflicted you were over sinning the phone scene when he heard about soy beans and plastics. Yeah they were only on one date years ago....but dammit the intensity of that moment and the level of complex emotions its able to convey in multiple characters all at once is the peak accomplishment of cinematic art that all film making schools should spend at least a day on teaching how to accomplish what that one scene did.
"Wallet - Key - Phone check" - every guy is like "same".
He was dressed and put back together before his wish was granred. Thus his keys abd wallet were already checked and in place prior to him wishing he had never been born. Moot point.
Hard to believe that Clarence knowing where the money was and not telling George wasn't a sin.
I wonder if there is some kind of Angel Prime Directive against interfering in matters of earthly crime.
The editing of this movie is breathtakingly modern, I love it
At Nick's Bar:
George: How old are you anyway?
Clarence: Two hundred and forty two neeeeeeeext.........May
Shouldn't he have had to think harder about the age part and not so long about the month?? I mean he's had lots of birthdays in May, he should know that part without thinking so long!
My family watches this movie every Christmas Eve.
1:08 “I could easily give him more intelligence, but then he’d stop believing in Me.” LOL! Easily the best line in this video.
0:23 -- MST3K reference! Take a sin off this man!
Watched this movie for the first time in my life, and I'm glad I did. It was amazing. I missed out on a lot of years of tradition.
So, naturally, immediately after watching it, I went to its CinemaSins counterpart--I was also not disappointed.
I thought it was the perfect Christmas movie.. and I thought I was the only one that cried every single time
Sin you missed - and one which has been bothering me for forty years... 16:20 "Your brother Harry … drowned at the age of nine." Then George scrapes away the snow to read the dates on the gravestone: 1911 - 1919. Harry was eight, dammit.
I don't think that's God at the beginning, it's "Joseph" who is doing the supervising.
Joseph is talking to guy before he talks to Clarence.
@ECKohns I tried looking it up, got nothing.
I don't think we hear or see God in this movie. The other angels in the movie are named Joseph and Franklin.
@@melissacooper4482 "Franklin" like Frank Capra? Only a "senior angel" is listed in the cast.
@@josephfisher426 I think I saw the name "Frankiln"on the subtitles. So I don't know for sure if that is the name of the senior angel.
Every time a film is sinned, a critic gets a column.
The main problem with this movie is that they never address the fact that Mary Hatch has evil powers and made a wish that caused Peter Bailey’s fatal stroke for the purpose of crushing George’s dreams and fulfill her personal childhood dreams. But, at least she got to go to College first
"With George Bailey the town couldn't be duller. Without him there's nightclubs, casinos, it's fabulous. I wish he never had been born." Arthur Spooner
I just watched “It Happened One Christmas” the weird sequel/remake of this movie and it made me realize that there is NOTHING wrong with this movie, it’s perfect! I’d watch the heck out of an Everything Wrong with that movie!
You missed a sin. Clarence says Harry drowned in the ice at the age of 9. The dates on the headstone only make him 8 years old.
I thought that did get dinged? But maybe Clarence was counting from conception!
I doubt modern movies have any better control of continuity; they often are giving us fewer details, so they limit their mistakes, but are also less lifelike.
@@josephfisher426 But we don't count age including conception, and he distinctly said "the age of 9" or "aged 9". I'm being really petty, but it's CinemaSins, pettiness is part of the formula.
@@bryannewcombe858 I know, but in that case I wouldn't be certain that it was not deliberate. I don't know that it was ever a European practice, though.
@@josephfisher426 It appears to be an Asian thing...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_age_reckoning
Another "sin" / error: George goes to Bailey Park and it's a graveyard ... with stones dating from his childhood. Earlier in the film Bailey Park is shown to be an open field.
Maybe Potter redid all the streets and George got lost?
Cinema Sins..There is NOTHING wrong with this film😜..It's my favorite Holiday film🎄🎅🍺😎. Give me back my Sins👍
You really made me smile at 0:23.
Also, I appreciate you directed no Sins at Sheldon Leonard.
Looping in stuff from Rope and Vertigo at the end was funny, too.
I actually watched It’s A Wonderful Life for the very first time this past Christmas, so amazing and profound to me!!! ❤
Since you did this movie can Can you do "A Christmas Story"? I would like to see the movie sin counter hit negative numbers lol
Also " A Christmas Story Live" please! Thanks!
If I were to make a top 10 of overrated movies, that boring piece of garbage would be number one.
Negative numbers? For THAT movie? Hahahahahahahaha
That movie blows
mattandsarahaschan
Amen!! I’ve never understood the popularity of it.
You missed the biggest sin there was no way a state bank examiner would start a job on Christmas eve.
I think it was supposed to be quick and routine. If he'd been called out about the apparent fraud, also, but that hadn't come up yet.
I was a state bank examiner for 5.5 years in the 1990's. The bank examiner would inform the b & l at least a week before the examination would start so it could get the records together the examiner would be on site for at least three days before filing his report, after all the b&l has to pay for the examination it is not free. If the report states there maybe fruad the report would be sent to the banking department's legal division for review then depending on the size of the bank or s&l/b&l involved the examiner's report and work papers would be sent to the local district attorney's office or state attorney general's office to decide if someone should be charged with a crime.
The biggest mistake in this movie that I've been thinking for years -- isn't even mentioned in this review. Before George was born, the town was called Bedford Falls. So even if George hadn't been born, the town would've still been originally called bedford Falls.
So then let's assume that the town was renamed Pottersville because of something George didn't do. Well that would've had to wait until George's adulthood -- perhaps after Peter Bailey died. But even that would've been a fairly involved process. Anyway, there's no way that town could've been called Pottersville for more than about 10 years.
But when George calls it Bedford Falls, the guy reacts like he's never heard of Bedford Falls before. How could that be possible? He was old enough that for the majority of his life, the town was called Bedford Falls. The most he could have possibly said to George is "hey, don't you remember that we re-name the town to be Pottersville a few years ago?"
It's bc George Bailey's father didn't have the strength to keep fighting potter off after losing his only son to drowning. Bedford falls would have changed names in the 20s some 25 years earlier.
@@Backinblackbunny009 interesting take. Let's run with that a second. I'm thinking the man in the movie looked like he was about 60. So even with your assumption, he would have still lived the first 35 years of his life in Bedford Falls. I just think his reaction was wrong.
It could be that only part of Bedford Falls was renamed, like split into two towns. And this guy’s house was on the Pottersville side, maybe by only a block. So it’s not that he’d never heard of Bedford Falls, it’s that he was trying to correct George.
The problem with the butterfly effect is that there are so many variables that would change - for sake of the story and in order to have a effect on George the changes have to be meaningful to him
How much do I love CinemaSins, you ask? I watched this movie when I got the notification despite watching it on my Christmas marathon last month.
I am so thrilled by this commentary - can't get enough, it's almost embarrassing, I'm watching everything that pops up, I am smitten! Only David Sedaris has made me laugh like this! High praise!