Jimmy Stewart offers one of his best performances as poor George Bailey. His classic “aw-shucks” persona is in full effect and feeds the heart of this piece. The supporting cast, with the delightful Donna Reed, Thomas Mitchell, and Henry Travers also provide impressive performances. Even the children playing Bailey’s kids are good. That’s saying something, child actors tend to be as pleasant as public displays of ringworm wounds

The film itself is perfectly paced and presented. The action is sharp and potent without a wasted minute. Capra was an efficient and driven director who delivered his films in nice taut packages. One of the attractive things about this film is its simplicity, not only in its message but in how Capra presents it to us. He was a master at showing life in a positive way. His films, as expressed particularly in this movie, shine a light on the small man and his quiet life of consequence. This film explains that we all have a purpose and our lives are worth living. The film also shows that one doesn’t need huge budget effects or sex and violence when you actually have something to say.





If you can forget that this film has nearly been destroyed by being run in heavy rotation every Christmas season, you will find one of the most enjoyable movies ever made. Jean Shepard's down-to-earth humor and loving depictions of childhood are a joy to witness. I'm hard pressed to think of a movie with more memorable scenes.






Alright, so Die Hard isn't a Christmas movie - I think I saw a Christmas tree in the background somewhere so I'm counting it in!

The story is a lesson in simplicity, haggard cop John McClane goes to visit his estranged wife in a downtown skyscraper. Just after he enters the building it is taken over by a gang of international terrorists.McClane, trapped inside must fight the terrorists in order to save his wife who has been taken hostage. The script by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza is almost perfect in its execution. It is a taut, clean script and is a must read for anyone looking to write their own screenplay.

Labels: movie recommendations