Amazon Prime has been slammed for axing what many fans call the ’emotional core’ of the beloved Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life.
Holiday viewers were left furious after discovering Amazon Prime Video had chopped 22 minutes from Frank Capra’s iconic 1946 film and gutting one of its most famous scenes.
The decades-long staple pulls in millions of viewers every Christmas season, with 4.7 million people tuning in in 2017 and nearly 4.5 million still watching in 2020.
But fans were left scratching their heads this year after realizing they’d been served an ‘abridged’ cut of the film – confusion fueled by what insiders say is the movie’s notoriously chaotic copyright history, according to CNN.
That didn’t stop thousands of outraged viewers from spending Christmas Day online, ripping the quiet scene cut as an ‘abomination’ and a betrayal of the film.
The axing of the ‘Pottersville’ scene – arguably the most important moment in the story – had the internet insisting that ripping it out destroys the entire movie.
In it, the heartbroken hero suddenly finds his will to live, realizing just how much the world would crumble without him.
‘Are they insane? This sequence encapsulates the point of the entire film! How one man’s life and good deeds affect many others, and why the world is worse off without him,’ one viewer wrote on X.
Amazon Prime Video is being slammed for cutting what many fans call the ’emotional core’ of the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life
Viewers were left furious this holiday season after realizing the streaming giant chopped 22 minutes from Frank Capra’s iconic 1946 film and gutted one of its most famous scenes
The axing of the ‘Pottersville’ scene – arguably the most pivotal moment in the story -had the internet insisting that ripping it out destroys the entire movie
Another added: ‘Yeah… we watched it last night unknowingly and they deleted the MOST IMPORTANT part! UGH! That version should be removed!’
In the film, protagonist George Bailey – played by James Stewart – wishes he’d never been born, only to have the angel Clarence show him a grim alternate reality of life without him.
But viewers quickly saw the plot jump from the actor contemplating his life to joyfully sprinting through town the next moment – an abrupt mood swing with no explanation in between.
In the original, untouched film, Bailey’s hometown of Bedford Falls collapses into the corrupt town of Pottersville, with countless other misfortunes unfolding as a result of his nonexistence.
His brother dies young, his wife never finds love and the whole town is ruthlessly ruled by the greedy banker – completely unchecked.
Bailey realizes that even his own simple life can have a big impact on others around him. It lifts him from despair to unstoppable hope.
The underlying message – ‘No man is a failure who has friends’ – marks the movie’s turning point, proving that Bailey’s quiet impact is more than enough to be loved and remembered.
Without that scene, longtime fans have blasted the edited version as ‘pointless,’ with some even claiming the entire movie collapses because of the missing half-hour.
In the scene, protagonist George Bailey – played by James Stewart – wishes he’d never been born, only to have the angel Clarence show him a grim alternate reality of life without him
Bailey’s brother dies young, his wife never finds love and the whole town is ruthlessly ruled by the greedy banker as a result
Bailey realizes that even an ordinary, simple life can shape the fate of countless others. It’s this realization that transforms him from suicidal despair to radiant hope
‘Absolutely ridiculous. The whole point is to show how George wishing to never be born affected everyone in his life,’ one comment read.
Another said: ‘They should at least have the decency to take Frank Capra’s name off it.’
‘This scene is important and powerful. I hope newbies to the film aren’t actually watching this nonsense. Shame on Amazon!’
Another viewer wrote: ‘This scene is pivotal in George realizing his life truly has meaning, the main point of the film. I don’t know how you could show it without it.’
‘We accidently watched this version and could not believe it. Absolute butchery,’ one angered fan added.
But why the film was chopped by the streaming giant is even more complicated, and it all boils down to copyright legalities.
Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life is loosely based on the 1943 short story, The Greatest Gift, by Philip Van Doren Stern, as reported by CNN.
The Pottersville scene closely mirrors Stern’s original plot, but the film takes it further by adding an extended backstory and dramatic conclusion.
Without the cut scene, longtime fans blasted the edited version as ‘pointless,’ with some claiming the entire movie collapses because of the missing half-hour
Why the film was chopped reportedly boils down to messy copyright legalities
Amazon Prime reportedly streams both versions, but with confusing labels, holiday fans are often blindsided into watching the wrong one
But Stern locked down the copyright for his short story and renewed it in 1971 before he died, passing the license to his daughter and her three daughters – ultimately keeping control of the tale in the family.
Playwright Jason LeBlanc, who works with Stern’s estate to bring It’s a Wonderful Life to the stage, says the writer’s family set up The Greatest Gift Corporation to manage the rights to his work.
In 1974, copyright for the film expired when then-owner Republic Pictures failed to renew it, citing a ‘clerical error,’ according to the Library of Congress.
For nearly two decades, a handful of TV stations aired the film during the holidays – without paying a single royalty.
But the copyright expiration turned out to be a lucky break: the film initially flopped in theaters, was forgotten by many, and then found new life streaming on televisions across America.
While the film was in the public domain, the rights to two key elements were still protected: Stern’s original short story and Dimitri Tiomkin’s musical score, according to The New York Post.
In 1993, Republic Pictures – later bought by Paramount – sent letters to broadcasters claiming they held the copyright to It’s a Wonderful Life.
They demanded the stations could no longer air the film for free, as the story and music now required a proper license.
Legal experts told The Post that the secretly cut version sparking outrage might be a loophole. Distributors may have thought they could dodge the short story’s copyright while still streaming a version of the film.
Amazon Prime reportedly streams both versions, but with confusing labels, holiday fans are often blindsided into watching the chopped-down edition.
