It’s a Wonderful Life voted greatest Christmas film ever made

By Patrick Cremona

Published: Monday, 19 December 2022 at 12:00 am

The results are in – and It’s a Wonderful Life has once again topped our annual readers’ poll to name the greatest Christmas film of all time.

Frank Capra’s 1946 drama – which starred James Stewart in the central role of George Bailey – was the comfortable winner with 22 per cent of the total votes cast, a far greater share than any of the other 24 films that made it onto our shortlist.

The Muppet Christmas Carol was its closest challenger on 12 per cent, while the top five was rounded out by Home Alone, Elf and Love Actually – with those films managing 10 per cent, 10 per cent, and seven per cent respectively.

Interestingly, Die Hard has dropped out of the top five after coming fourth in last year’s poll – scoring just six per cent of the vote this time around to put it in sixth place.

You can find the vote breakdown in full below:

  1. It’s a Wonderful Life (22 per cent)
  2. The Muppet Christmas Carol (12 per cent)
  3. Home Alone (10 per cent)
  4. Elf (10 per cent)
  5. Love Actually (seven per cent)
  6. Die Hard (six per cent)
  7. Scrooge (five per cent)
  8. White Christmas (five per cent)
  9. Miracle on 34th Street (four per cent)
  10. Polar Express (four per cent)
  11. The Snowman (four per cent)
  12. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (four per cent)
  13. The Holiday (two per cent)
  14. Nativity! (one per cent)
  15. Arthur Christmas (one per cent)
  16. Scrooged (one per cent)
  17. The Santa Clause (one per cent)
  18. The Shop Around the Corner (zero per cent)
  19. How The Grinch Stole Christmas (zero per cent)
  20. Batman Returns (zero per cent)
  21. Carol (zero per cent)
  22. Klaus (zero per cent)
  23. The Christmas Chronicles (zero per cent)
  24. Spirited (zero per cent)
  25. Falling for Christmas (zero per cent)

Why is It’s a Wonderful Life the best film of all time?

In the many years we’ve been running this poll at RadioTimes.com, It’s a Wonderful Life has consistently topped the rankings, which is made all the more remarkable by the fact that the film was considered something of a flop upon its initial release in 1946 – receiving mixed reviews and failing to break even at the box office.

It wasn’t until the film entered the public domain in the 1970s and began to appear as a staple on the festive TV schedules that it really became the classic we know it as today, and since then its reputation has gone from strength to strength – appearing on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 best films ever made and being named as a favourite by all manner of directors from Steven Spielberg to David Lynch.

So what is it about the film that means it continues to endure more than 75 years after it was first shown?

""
James Stewart, Donna Reed, Carol Coombs, Jimmy Hawkins, Larry Simms and Karolyn Grimes in It’s a Wonderful Life.
Herbert Dorfman/Corbis via Getty Images

Well, perhaps the simplest answer is that it manages to deliver its heartwarming Christmas message about the importance of family, friendship and community without falling into overtly cheesy sentimentality. Sure, the ending is likely to leave you feeling more than a little weepy, but the genuine darkness that precedes it – when we see George in a suicidal state – ensures that the emotional climax is earned, rather than just an empty display of mawkishness.

The film’s connection to the most iconic festive fable of all – A Christmas Carol – is perhaps another reason for its continued popularity. George Bailey and Ebenezer Scrooge’s respective world views could hardly be more different, but both stories invite their protagonists to reevaluate their lives by imagining a world without their presence – in both cases after the intervention of a benevolent spirit – and this chance to look back and reflect on our lives at the end of the year is clearly something which continues to resonate with audiences.

Furthermore, as with A Christmas Carol, Frank Capra’s film offers an unambiguous riposte to greed. The film’s depiction of community resistance in the face of corporate power – represented by the miserly villain Henry Potter – clearly continues to have great relevance in the modern age and is undoubtedly another reason for its continued appeal.

""
James Stewart as George Bailey and Lionel Barrymore as Henry Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life.
Bettmann/Getty Images

And then there’s the simple fact that the film has been around for so long. Christmas is a time for traditions after all, and by becoming such a constant part of so many people’s annual viewing, it has taken on an added significance – something which makes it unlikely to be toppled by any shiny new thing in the near future. Each yearly rewatch will come with its own memories for millions of families around the world, and those memories are arguably every bit as important as any one aspect of the film itself.

Of course, there are many other reasons why the film stands out as such a festive favourite – from James Stewart’s delightful central performance to the romanticism of George’s initial courtship with Donna Reed’s Mary – and whichever way you look at it, it seems likely to continue to top polls such as this one for a very long time indeed.

If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide. Visit our Movies hub for all the latest news.

The Christmas double issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.