{"id":323718,"date":"2024-12-29T13:22:15","date_gmt":"2024-12-29T19:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=323718"},"modified":"2024-12-30T08:20:42","modified_gmt":"2024-12-30T14:20:42","slug":"amazon-christmas-movie-pro-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/amazon-christmas-movie-pro-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Pro-life message removed from classic Christmas movie’s abridged version"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Countless Americans watch the film, “It’s a Wonderful Life” every year at Christmas, but many who watched it on Amazon this year were in for quite a shock as the “abridged” version is missing the film’s vital pro-life message.<\/p>\n

Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” is one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time, having been nominated for five Academy Awards, included in the 100 best American films ever made by the American Film Institute, and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being deemed as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Amazon Prime features three options for watching the film: the original black and white, the colorized version, and a third that is simply listed as an “abridged” version. Fans were upset to see that the abridged version cuts out many of the most important scenes in the film \u2014 the scenes that contain pro-life messages.<\/p>\n

The missing pro-life message<\/strong><\/p>\n

Originally, the film begins with people around the town of Bedford Falls praying for the protagonist, George Bailey, before the camera lingers on a constellation of stars, where angels can be heard discussing Bailey’s predicament. Clarence Odbody, Angel Second Class, is recruited by the angel named Joseph to help Bailey, and Clarence naturally wants to know what is plaguing Bailey. Originally, the dialogue included this conversation:<\/p>\n

Senior Angel:<\/strong> [voice-over] Hello Joseph, trouble?<\/em><\/p>\n

Joseph – Angel:<\/strong> [voice-over] Looks like we’ll have to send someone down. There are a lot of people asking for help for a man named George Bailey.<\/p>\n

Senior Angel: <\/strong>[voice-over] George Bailey? Yes! Tonight’s his crucial night. You’re right. We’ll have to send someone down immediately. Whose turn is it?<\/p>\n

Joseph – Angel:<\/strong> [voice-over] That’s why I came to see you, sir. It’s that clockmaker’s turn again.<\/p>\n

Senior Angel:<\/strong> Oh, Clarence. Hasn’t gotten his wings yet, has he?<\/p>\n

Joseph – Angel:<\/strong> [voice-over] We passed him up right along. Because, you know sir, he’s got the IQ of a rabbit.<\/p>\n

Senior Angel:<\/strong> [voice-over] Yes, but he’s got the faith of a child. Simple. Joseph, send for Clarence.<\/p>\n

Clarence:<\/strong> [voice-over] You sent for me, sir?<\/p>\n

Senior Angel:<\/strong> [voice-over] Yes, Clarence. A man down on earth needs our help.<\/p>\n

Clarence:<\/strong> [voice-over] Splendid. Is he sick?<\/p>\n

Senior Angel:<\/strong> [voice-over] No, worse. He’s discouraged. At exactly 10:45 pm Earth time, that man will be thinking seriously about throwing away God’s greatest gift.<\/p>\n

Clarence:<\/strong> [voice-over] Oh, dear, dear. His life. Then I’ve only got one hour to dress. What are they wearing now?<\/p>\n

Senior Angel:<\/strong> [voice-over] You will spend that hour getting acquainted with George Bailey.<\/p>\n

Clarence:<\/strong> [voice-over] Sir, if I should accomplish this mission, I mean… um. Might I perhaps win my wings? I’ve been waiting for over 200 years now, sir, and people ARE beginning to talk.<\/p>\n

Senior Angel:<\/strong> [voice-over] What’s that book you’ve got there?<\/p>\n

Clarence: [voice-over]<\/strong> Oh, oh, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.<\/p>\n

Senior Angel: [voice-over]<\/strong> Clarence, you do a good job with George Bailey and you will get your wings.<\/p>\n

In the abridged version, the part of the conversation where the angels discuss how Bailey is discouraged, and considering throwing away “God’s greatest gift” \u2014 his life \u2014 has been removed. Instead, it skips from Clarence being told a man needs help straight to Clarence asking if he might be able to get his wings if he’s successful.<\/p>\n

However, this is a relatively minor change compared to what is to come. In the original version, Clarence sees the history of Bailey’s life and how he touched the people of Bedford Falls. Viewers see that Bailey prevented the druggist, Mr. Gower, from accidentally poisoning a client, and saved his brother’s life after he fell through the ice one winter. Bailey is shown falling in love with, and eventually marrying, Mary Hatch; together, they have four children. Bailey, through the Bailey Brothers Building and Loan, gives residents of Bedford Falls the ability to live in affordable housing and to escape the slums run by the film’s protagonist, Henry Potter.<\/p>\n

At his lowest moment, Bailey believes he has lost $8,000 and, upon being told by Potter he’s worth more dead than he is alive, becomes suicidal. He is about to jump off a bridge to his death when Clarence jumps into the water first. Abandoning his plans to kill himself, Bailey dives into the water and saves Clarence instead. It is here that the abridged version makes the biggest change to the film’s pro-life message.<\/p>\n

Originally, Clarence grants Bailey’s wish to have never been born, and the film gives one of its most important messages \u2014 that every human life is valuable.<\/p>\n