It's a Wonderful Life

Name: It's a Wonderful Life
Genre: Drama, Family, Fantasy
Released: 1946-12-20
Duration: 2 h 11 min
Rating: 8.3
Cast: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers

1946·Movie·PG·131 min·★ 8.3(4,921)

Drama Family Fantasy More English titles

“It's a wonderful laugh! It's a wonderful love!”

George Bailey has spent his entire life giving to the people of Bedford Falls. All that prevents rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town is George's modest building and loan company. But on Christmas Eve the business's $8,000 is lost and George's troubles begin.

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Where to watch It's a Wonderful Life in United States

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Click a service to open It's a Wonderful Life there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.

Where is It's a Wonderful Life streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Hoopla, Fawesome	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
India	—	Amazon Video
United Kingdom	—	Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video
Canada	Paramount Plus, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Basic with Ads	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, CosmoGo
Australia	BINGE, Beamafilm	JustWatch TV, Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Germany	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
France	Molotov TV	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Canal VOD
Spain	Movistar Plus+, Movistar Plus+ Ficción Total , Filmin	Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Google Play Movies
Brazil	Looke, Belas Artes à La Carte, Oldflix, Looke Amazon Channel	Google Play Movies
Japan	Amazon Prime Video, U-NEXT, Amazon Prime Video with Ads	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies

About It's a Wonderful Life

It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 English-language drama, family and fantasy film directed by Frank Capra. The cast is led by James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore. It has a runtime of 2h 11m. Viewers rate it 8.3/10 across 4900 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Hoopla.

It's a Wonderful Life was produced by Liberty Films and made in United States of America. It was released on December 20, 1946, and carries a PG certification. Made on a budget of about $3 million, it went on to gross $10 million worldwide.

Director: Frank Capra
Writers: Frank Capra, Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich
Release date: December 20, 1946
OTT release: September 13, 2013
Original language: English
Age rating: PG
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Budget: $3 million
Box office: $10 million
Production: Liberty Films

#small town#angel#suicide attempt#holiday#christianity#bank#great depression#family business #black and white#nervous breakdown#old house#newlywed#magic realism#told in flashback

It's a Wonderful Life cast & crew

It's a Wonderful Life was directed by Frank Capra and written by Frank Capra, Albert Hackett, and Frances Goodrich.

The cast features James Stewart as George Bailey, Donna Reed as Mary Hatch, Lionel Barrymore as Mr. Potter, Thomas Mitchell as Uncle Billy, Henry Travers as Clarence, and Beulah Bondi as Mrs. Bailey.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Dimitri Tiomkin, cinematography is by Joseph F. Biroc, and it was produced by Frank Capra.

Is It's a Wonderful Life worth watching?

It's a Wonderful Life holds an audience score of 8.3/10 from 4,921 ratings, ranking it among the most acclaimed drama films.

At 2h 11m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy drama, family, and fantasy, It's a Wonderful Life is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch It's a Wonderful Life

In United States, you can stream It's a Wonderful Life on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Hoopla, and Fawesome, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

It first became available to stream digitally on September 13, 2013.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.