...It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

There's only one way to describe It's A Wonderful Life: it's a wonderful movie! Frank Capra has fashioned a sweet story, collected a group of excellent actors (including those not usually singled out - Gloria Grahame, Henry Travers, Beulah Bondhi, H.P. Warner, Lillian Rudolph), and directed this homage to friends and family (and suicide) with a light touch. And despite the fact that I bowed to internal pressure and posted this entry on December 25, It's A Wonderful Life is not just a story for the holiday season - it's a story for all time.