It's a Wonderful Life

The week in classical: It’s a Wonderful Life; A Child of Our Time; IMS Prussia Cove – review

ENO’s warm-hearted production of Jake Heggie’s operatic take on the classic Frank Capra film is full of poignant ironies

Stephen Pritchard

03, Dec, 2022 @12:30 PM

It’s a Wonderful Life review – operatic adaptation is on the side of the angels

Jake Heggie’s take on the heartwarming Christmas classic has a glittering, melodic score with a gift of a role for soprano Danielle de Niese as goofy guardian angel Clara

Erica Jeal

27, Nov, 2022 @12:58 PM

‘It makes me cry with laughter!’: readers recommend 15 fabulous Christmas films

Festive movies have never been more popular – and there’s nothing like a classic. Here are some to enjoy now, from Scrooged to Paddington to You’ve Got Mail

Guardian readers

20, Dec, 2021 @6:00 AM

From Fight Club to Brief Encounter: how self-isolation would change classic films

It’s now difficult to watch movies without worrying about the two-metre rule – here are the retrospective plot changes required to mean old movies pass muster

Stuart Heritage

24, Mar, 2020 @4:16 PM

Which Christmas movie are you?

We all have a favourite festive film. But what does it mean if you are an Elf fan or a Love, Actually aficionado?

Stuart Heritage

25, Dec, 2019 @9:00 AM

Paul McCartney writes first musical, stage version of It's a Wonderful Life

Former Beatle is to write songs for Frank Capra’s ‘universal story’, working with Lee Hall, author of Billy Elliot

Ben Beaumont-Thomas

17, Jul, 2019 @11:05 PM

A message of hope for a nation torn apart by sneering and vitriol | Tim Adams

So much has it become part of the Christmas wallpaper that we often miss the redemptive power of It’s a Wonderful Life. Look again, as I did

Tim Adams

23, Dec, 2018 @8:00 AM

The ultimate festive film? No, it’s not Die Hard | Hadley Freeman

A true Christmas movie must adhere to the following scientific, mathematical and logical rules

Hadley Freeman

22, Dec, 2018 @9:00 AM

Mary Poppins, The BFG and Spectre: your complete Christmas film guide

The best festive films, from the classic The Grand Budapest Hotel, to modern favourites such as Up and Brooklyn, plus the creepy baby from Twilight and everything in between

Paul Howlett and Phil Harrison

15, Dec, 2018 @10:00 AM

It’s a Wonderful Life review – Capra's Christmas cracker shines anew

A crisis in housing, a racist ruling class and a struggle against a hideous ego-plutocrat who names everything after himself – this 1946 classic still resonates

Peter Bradshaw

14, Dec, 2018 @3:00 PM