WTF Is This Model of ‘It is A Fantastic Life’?

Frank Capra’s 1946 movie It’s a Fantastic Life is actually one of the best holiday films ever made. It’s additionally simply one of the best films ever made, period. A giant a part of that’s due to the third act, when the primary character, George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart), sees what life would’ve been like if he’d by no means been born. It makes him understand how stunning and particular his life was, resulting in the heartwarming remaining scene of a city’s appreciation and adoration.

However what would It’s a Fantastic Life be with out that scene? What if George Bailey didn’t see what his life could be like with out his being born? These are questions actually no one has ever asked as a result of it’s like saying, “What’s Residence Alone with out the traps?” It’s type of the purpose. And but, there’s a model floating on the market that removes that essential scene, and we nonetheless can’t consider it.

Final 12 months, I used to be sitting down for a viewing of It’s a Fantastic Life on Prime Video and realized there have been a number of variations. There’s the unique black and white model, which is clearly the one one anybody needs to be watching. Then there’s additionally a colorized model (sacrilegious however comprehensible) in addition to an “abridged” model. After I noticed that final one, it crammed me with curiosity. It’s a Fantastic Life is ideal. What would you abridge, precisely? I used to be much more curious once I noticed the model was an entire 12 minutes shorter than the unique. How do you trim 12 minutes from that film?

The reply, unfathomably, is that it completely removes the perfect, most important scene within the film. George’s guardian angel, Clarence, arrives, throws himself within the river, and George saves him. All of it performs out precisely like the unique film, besides after George asks Clarence how he’s going to assist, the movie smash cuts to George screaming, “Mary!” again within the current, full of pleasure that he’s again in actuality. He doesn’t see Pottersville or meet any of his associates or something. It’s simply gone. The ending then performs out usually. The edit is senseless and utterly ruins the movie.

Now, once I first noticed this, I posted about it on social media, and it went a little viral. Within the feedback that adopted, a number of individuals supplied what I consider is the perfect and most sensible clarification. Apparently, it’s a authorized factor. The massive alternate universe scene in Pottersville is predicated on a brief story referred to as “The Best Reward” by Philip Van Doren Stern. That story has a special copyright than It’s a Fantastic Life as an entire, which hit the general public area in 1975. So this model exists as a rights-free model that anybody can use or entry with out fear. Not that you simply’d need to.

Fortunately, there may be loads of warning turning you away from this model. It’s very clearly marked as “abridged” in its title, and there’s a card at first saying that it’s shorter and the ending has been modified. However both means, that it exists and is so simply accessible feels oddly evil. Like one thing Previous Man Potter would’ve accomplished, trying to disclaim us the enjoyment of the Baileys.

The unique, black and white model of It’s a Fantastic Life is on Prime at this link. You’ll be able to seek for any others for those who so want.

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