It Happened One Christmas
It Happened One Christmas
| 11 December 1977 (USA)
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It's Christmas Eve 1944 in the small town of Bedford Falls, New York. A despondent and suicidal Mary Bailey Hatch is praying for guidance on what to do about an incident no fault of her own which threatens her name and the community standing of her longtime family business, the Bailey Building and Loan, which she took over after the passing of her father. What Mary does not know is that most in town, including her husband George Hatch and their children, are also praying for her. All the prayers are heard by Joseph, God's gatekeeper of prayers. As there are no other angels available on such a busy day, Joseph assigns Clara Oddbody, angel second class (i.e. she has yet to receive her wings), to Mary's case, which he reluctantly does as Clara has never been assigned a case on her own in the two hundred years she's been in heaven for good reason.

Reviews
Cubussoli

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

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Doomtomylo

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

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Neive Bellamy

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

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Caryl

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

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Michael Thompson

Frank Capra's It's a wonderful life stands on it's own as a classic film with a timeless message.Marlo Thomas whom I have never seen before, turns in a superb and dedicated performance in James Stewart's role.This movie reverses the original roles taken by Donna Reed and James Stewart.This movie does not have the warmth of the original, or the characterization of the original.It is solely the acting of Mario Thomas that makes this version stand out on it's own.

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climbingivy

It Happened One Christmas is a lovely rendition of an old time classic movie called It's A Wonderful Life. I love this movie and I love It's A Wonderful Life too. I am in love with Christmas movies period.Marlo Thomas was sweet in the role of Mary Bailey. Wayne Rogers was effective in the role that he played opposite Marlo Thomas. Of course what can I say Orson Welles is a master.I though that Cloris Leachman was interesting as well. It was an unusual part for her to play. I am a big fan of all of the actors in this movie.I thought the setting and the costumes were good too. This version had a totally different feel than It's A Wonderful Life did.That is what is so nice,both movies were good in their own way.I taped this movie in 2006 from Ion TV and I was pleased with a nice clear print.I don't mind the commercials. I have a very old print from many years ago that has no footage cut, but the picture is not very good on DVD.The picture is not bad on VHS tape.I highly recommend this movie to Christmas movie lovers.

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xxxray69

The people that thought that this was a good remake must be smoking crack.This whole "reverse" concept was dumb and the acting was horrible. The main reason why the original movie was so good and special was that for the duration of the movie I had a complete suspension of disbelief. I believed that I was watching George Bailey not Jimmy Stewart. In the remake, all I could see was Margo Thomas and not "Mary" Bailey.All I could think while I was watching the movie was, "Why is Marlo Thomas ruining her career by doing this movie and why is she hanging out with 'Trapper' from 'MASH'?" Everyone, do yourself a favour and DO NOT watch this movie and ruin your Christmas. Stay with the original Jimmy Stewart version--It's a Classic and should not be tampered with.But for those of us who's already seen this remake, we are all now more dumb and more retarded for having watched it.

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seduffy

I assume slamming "It's a Wonderful Life" is probably like knocking the book "A Christmas Carol"--both are sacred, no matter how sick people actually are of them (are the round-the- clock showings of "Wonderful" really necessary?). I'm another one who saw this remake first, and then attempted to watch the original. I suspect that 1930s-era film may be one of the most difficult periods for modern audiences to appreciate. I found the original "It's a Wonderful Life" impossible to watch--saccharine and sappy in the extreme. The characters in the remake were much more believable, and to me this was a very successful update. The pain of both the main characters--Rogers' character, returning from WWII with a permanent injury, and Thomas' lead, who is trapped in a life she didn't plan for-- are quite realistic. Thomas seems *genuinely* suicidal; the causes of her depression are clear, and also, like a depressed person, she has become isolated from her family and is snapping at those around her. The premise of the original film, if you think about it, is quite serious; it has a kind of "Our Town" melancholy hanging over it, but this seems lost amid layers of hoke in the very dated original. I haven't seen "It Happened One Christmas" in years, and keep hoping in vain that it will be re-released, or at least shown at Christmastime.

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