Incannerax What a waste of my time!!!

Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

Ella-May O'Brien Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Delight Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Paul Sadek Make no mistake: Marlo Thomas is still a most attractive woman; but 35 years ago, she was just the right age for the role of Mary Bailey Hatch. Probably more damaging than anything else in 1977 was the fact that "That Girl" was only six years off of network, and likely in wide syndication, leaving Marlo typecast as the ditzy "Ann Marie," a character far removed from the young businesswoman in "It Happened One Christmas." Perhaps that was one of the reasons why Marlo took the part.Remaking "It's a Wonderful Life" is kind of like repainting the Mona Lisa: It is doomed to be compared to the original, and inevitably, less than favorably. Having said that, standing on its own, "It Happened One Christmas" simply glows.It's difficult not to fall in love with Marlo as Mary Bailey Hatch, to cheer for her when she flourishes, and to cry with her when she believes that life isn't worth living.The supporting cast is adequate. Wayne Rogers likely had the same problem as Marlo, having recently left the cast of "MASH," but in the supporting role of George Hatch--almost a background character--he played well. Cloris Leachman, as the angel Clara, was cute, but succumbed to the temptation to overact. For Orson Welles, it was about the era when he was known for the phrase, "We will sell no wine before its time" (in a popular television commercial for Paul Masson wines), and his performance as villain Henry Potter was almost an extension of that. Doris Roberts as Ma Bailey had yet to find the spark which she would later exude as Ray Romano's mother. And Christopher Guest, as younger brother Harry Bailey, was simply wooden, even in the classic signature line in the final scene.The biggest strike against "It Happened One Christmas" is that it was what those in the business refer to as a "madefor"--that is, it was a made-for-television movie, putting severe restrictions on length and budget. Many elements of the story were either condensed or eliminated, and it simply has the "look and feel" of a "madefor." If you've seen and loved "It's a Wonderful Life," you will surely say that "It Happened One Christmas" falls short... But Marlo will steal your heart.

ruthann-renaud I first saw this on TV in the late 1970s. My family and I were curious as to how Marlo Thomas and troupe would handle a genuine film classic. The title of my summary says it all: "Well intended but misfired." All that is different is the gender reversal. Otherwise, it's the same basic story as the movie...same plot line, same characters, same situations, etc. It's hard to knock a nice lady like Marlo Thomas who was so good as "That Girl" and as a feminist actress and activist or a lady like Cloris Leachman who just keeps getting better with age but the story just seems to work better with James Stewart, Donna Reed, etc. ...the reworking just doesn't seem to cut it. Leonard Maltin gave this a lukewarm review in his book of movie reviews saying it was "earnestly made." I would agree saying (again) it was well-intended but ultimately misfired. Everybody seemed to want to do well with the material but it just didn't come through.

John40ish I feel this remake was a great movie and felt, Marlo Thomas did so much better then Jimmy Stewart. I thought his acting really stunk in the original, plus he didn't show much realism to the part. Esp the part where he was to jump off the bridge and kill himself was so stupid. If you pay close attention, his guardian angel jumped in the river so George can save him, if you notice George jumped off the same bridge he was to kill himself, if he wasn't gonna die by jumping off the same bridge the same way by saving the stupid angel, why didn't he die when he jumped in to save the angel. This part was so stupid. The remake with Marlo, you see her getting ready to jump, but stops as her guardian angel falls in to the side by stepping on some ice near the edge, not jump off the same bridge to save her guardian angel to kill herself, it looked more realistic. I can't find the remake anywhere, even tried looking on ebay, but have not found it, if anyone has found it whether VHS or preferably DVD, please let me know.

scottngregg I must be the only person in the world, no the universe, that did not like the original story "it's a Wonderful Life." But then I saw the remake called "It Happened One Christmas" and I have loved that story ever since. It was only repeated on TV a few years and I have been looking for it ever since. I have the feeling I'm not the only one who found that remake more enjoyable than the original and would love to see it again. Please, if anyone out there, reading this message has the clout to get it into print, I know it will gain a "cult" following and make the reproducers of the movie very happy!! As well as all the fans...