Say what you want about black-and-white film, It's A Wonderful Life is a Christmas classic, through and through. Since its release in 1946, the film has received numerous awards and accolades. The #1 Most Inspirational Movie of All Time by the AFI, being one. For years, George Bailey's story has continued to inspire and change lives, as families everywhere turn to this film as a reminder of what the Christmas season and life are really about.
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This explains why many viewers were dismayed when a key scene was cut from Amazon Prime's version of the film. What scene did they remove, you might ask? Well, it only happens to be one of the most pivotal moments. Fans of the film are calling the scene's removal "an abomination," "sacrilege," and "pointless," according to the New York Post.
If you've ever watched It's A Wonderful Life, you'll know what scene I'm talking about. In this movie, George Bailey, famously played by actor James Stewart, is visited by an angel named Clarence right as he's contemplating ending his life. Clarence then shows George what the world would have looked like without him in it, in a series of hypotheticals. For example, his brother wouldn't be alive had he not been born, and his wife wouldn't be married.
In Amazon's abridged version, this portion of the film is cut, reducing the movie's total runtime by about 23 minutes. This means that George Bailey goes from being suicidal in one frame to jumping for joy in the next. Honestly, it doesn't really make much sense without the removed context.
Why Are There Two Versions of 'It's A Wonderful Life'?
Amazon offers an "abridged version" of It's A Wonderful Life because a different story initially inspired the movie. The Greatest Gift, a short story by Philip Van Doren Stern, is what the film was based on. The copyright for The Greatest Gift was renewed in 1971, but the copyright for It's A Wonderful Life expired in 1974. The reason why it never got renewed is confusing, but long story short, this is why the Pottersville scene is cut from specific versions of the film.
In The Greatest Gift, there's a scene in which a character named George contemplates ending his life and is told to go back into town by a stranger. This is where he sees what the town would have been like without his influence.
Not to worry, though, for fans of the original film, It's A Wonderful Life can be streamed in full on Amazon Prime. Keep in mind, this just might not be the first version that pops up. The downside: you might have to pay for the full-length film, since only the abridged version is free with ads.
