Capra's nice people are charming, his small town is a quite beguiling place and his pattern for solving problems is most optimistic and facile.
#It's a wonderful life movie professional
Director Capra's inventiveness, humor and affection for human beings keep it glowing with life and excitement."īut it wasn't an instant phenomenon, and Bosley Crowther's review in The New York Times seemed to sum up the general attitude of professional moviegoers: "The weakness of this picture, from this reviewer's point of view, is the sentimentality of it - its illusory concept of life. Reviews were mixed, not uniformly bad - Time said it was "a pretty wonderful movie. Though its box office receipts were disappointing, "It's a Wonderful Life" was nominated for five Oscars and ranked as the 26th highest-grossing film of 1947, one spot ahead of another Christmas perennial, "Miracle on 34th Street." Over the years, this has evolved into the myth that "It's a Wonderful Life" was largely ignored by the public and ravaged by critics upon its release. It also has an interesting history - it wasn't exactly a box office smash upon release. It is a seasonal perennial, one of those movies that a lot of people ritually watch every holiday season.
But, for the purposes of this screening, "It's a Wonderful Life" is better than one of my favorites. (My Twitter handle is had some input into choosing the film, but it is not one of my favorites. If that's not possible, then I'll live-tweet during the film. If technology allows it - and Zoom generally does - I'll also be posting comments about the film in real-time. I'm hosting the live discussion, which is scheduled to begin at 8:15 p.m. You can find more information and buy tickets for the virtual event by going to or by calling (501) 372-4000. The screening is limited to 250, and the cost is $8 for AAC members and $10 for others. and lasting until 9 p.m., the Arkansas Arts Center, in conjunction with the Arkansas Cinema Society, is presenting an online screening and discussion of Frank Capra's 1946 film "It's a Wonderful Life."