Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

A delightful Christmas classic that ranks not only among my favorite Cary Grant films but my favorite films period. It's beautiful and funny and touching in ways movies seldom are anymore. The story is about an angel named Dudley (Cary Grant) sent to Earth to help Bishop Henry (David Niven), who's struggling with raising the money necessary to build a new cathedral, all the while neglecting his wife Julia (Loretta Young).Cary Grant is just perfect as Dudley, one of his best 1940s roles. He's charming and handsome and has great chemistry with all of his co-stars. David Niven does a fine job as the stressed and slightly neurotic Henry, who finds himself in the unenviable position (particularly for a Bishop) of being jealous of the very angel sent to help him. With good reason, too, as even angelic Dudley can't resist falling for the heavenly Loretta Young. For her part, lovely Loretta positively glows as the sweet and faithful Julia. Scene-stealing turn from the great Monty Woolley, but when did this guy not shine? Every movie of his I've seen is made better just by his presence. The rest of the wonderful supporting cast includes Elsa Lanchester, James Gleason, Regis Toomey, Sara Haden, and Gladys Cooper. Also of note to fans of another Christmas classic: Karolyn Grimes and Bobby Anderson (Zuzu and young George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life) are in this.It's a quality production with great direction and cinematography, and a witty and emotional script full of very human characters who are flawed but not in the same broken way that description is used today. It's a heartwarming seasonal fantasy film. Not to belabor a point I touched on before but it's the type of movie they don't really make anymore. It's the rare and magical movie you watch with a smile etched on your face the whole time. Definitely recommended for fans of the stars or those who love gentle, old-fashioned Christmas films.

"Bishop Henry Brougham" (David Niven) is having a problem. Essentially, he wants to build a new cathedral for a church but a wealthy widow named "Mrs. Hamilton" (Gladys Cooper) wants to have it named and in honor for her late husband. Naturally, Bishop Brougham is opposed to this on the grounds that it is too crass and commercialistic. However, there are no other donors wanting to step up and he knows that if he is going to get the necessary funds he has to do it during the holiday season when people are more charitable. Otherwise, if he wants to get it built he will have to capitulate to Mrs. Hamilton's demands. Not knowing what else to do he prays about it and when he looks around an angel named "Dudley" (Cary Grant) appears. Unfortunately, the Bishop doesn't particularly care for Dudley's mannerisms and his concern transforms into distrust and suspicion when Dudley begins to take his wife, "Julia Brougham" (Loretta Young) all over town. And it's this tension between the two of them that makes this movie so funny. Yet, while I liked the performance of Cary Grant for the most part, I didn't especially care for the manner in which Dudley began to behave in a romantic fashion toward Julia. It just didn't feel right. But that aside, it was still a nice movie overall which viewers might want to check out some time during the holidays.

The true spirit of the holiday season comes alive every time I see this movie. Even more so than "The Miracle on 34th Street" and "It's a Wonderful Life", this Christmas classic really touches me with the feeling that all is right in a world that sometimes seems so wrong. Confused adults need spiritual guidance, and that comes in the form of an angel, the dashing Cary Grant who focuses on an Episcopalian Bishop (David Niven), his lovely wife (Loretta Young), and various others whom he encounters on his visit to earth. Like other human beings, Niven wants something desperately for the holidays, and that is the funds to build a bigger cathedral which he can only do with the aide of wealthy widow Gladys Cooper, a domineering parishioner who holds the purse strings and has plenty of demands. Niven has no idea that his seemingly idealistic marriage is in deep trouble, and Grant's presence brings temptation into the wake of the season of giving.What could be truly schmaltzy ends up being totally charming, and that is due to the excellent screenplay, tight direction, beautiful photography and music, and the most outstanding cast assembled for a holiday film. In addition to the aforementioned stars are Monty Woolley as an eccentric friend of Young and Niven's (whom Grant claims he knows), James Gleason as a cynical cab driver who really gets into the spirit of Christmas thanks to Grant's presence, Elsa Lanchaster as a befuddled maid, and the sweet Karolyn Grimes as Niven and Young's daughter, an adorable little girl who truly represents the spirit of Christmas. Even the minor players have a thing or two to contribute to the touching story, among them Sara Haden and Regis Toomey, as well as a gaggle of gossipy old ladies who are instantly suspicious when they see Grant and Young together then become charmed and forget about their initial tongue wagging.There are so many small plot points in this which remain in the memory long after the film is over, including the story of old coins Woolley has which he thinks are worthless, a visit to a skating rink where even clumsy Gleason finds he can skate like Sonja Henie, and a snowball fight where young Grimes gets the last laugh. But ultimately, this is a film about the spirit of the holidays, and when Grant tells Karolyn the story of the first Christmas, it truly is touching. The imperious Cooper gives the old pro's try with her sometimes touching, mostly tough character really melting into a pile of mush when she meets Grant. Cary is a bit of a mischievous angel, as evidenced in a scene where Niven ends up sitting in a recently varnished chair at Cooper's mansion, and for a minute, it isn't clear what Grant's motives really are. But as fast as angels arrive, they leave, and they are only there long enough to do what they need to do.A modernized version of this ("The Preacher's Wife") kept the heart and soul of the original film and is also very much worth seeing. Whitney Houston's magnetic smile brought a light into the update, and is a reminder of how lovely Young could be when she simply played her role and didn't try to be too noble. The fact that her character is obviously attracted to Grant in spite of her moral fiber makes her much more human, and the fact that Niven is far from perfect even being a religious leader makes him extremely identifiable as well. Christmas movies may come out by the dozens now, but they really don't make em' like this anymore.

This film is slowly becoming a holiday classic but you never hear it mentioned among the very best "must-see" Christmas films and it should be. Perhaps not quite a "10" like Alistair Sim's Scrooge, it's still one of the very best movies ever made (holiday film or no).It's got a touching character transformation much like Scrooge. And it's got perhaps the most unusual romantic comedy twist ever - with the wife reborn with ghostly Cary Grant's presence even as he informs the husband (a curmudgeonly MINISTER!) about the true ways of Goodness.Grant's performance here is solid, brilliant and very touching. The depth of his humanity is on great display - and how many actors could pull off this role as Cary does?And is Loretta Young more endearing in any other film? Her performance here alone makes this film worth watching.There are so many funny, charming and moving scenes in this movie it'd be hard to list them all...If you haven't seen this yet, please give it a try. You'll be surprised to find it becoming one of those films you have to see every Christmas.