Amazon Prime Video slammed after ‘butchering’ Christmas classic by removing movie’s most crucial scene
IT’S a Wonderful Life is a classic Christmas flick that continues to be still enjoyed by families – decades after it was first released.
But, festive movie watchers have noticed that an abridged version is airing on Amazon Prime, and one of the movie’s most important scenes seems to be missing.
Released in December 1946, the plot of the movie centers around businessman George Bailey, who considers taking his own life on Christmas Eve.
He tries to jump off a bridge before being stopped by his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody.
The movie focuses on moments involving George.
When he was a child, he saved his brother from drowning but was left deaf as he jumped into an icy lake.
He ends up being overwhelmed by his commitments to his career and family as he’s embroiled in business disputes.
George works for the Building and Loan and wants to go on a honeymoon, but a banking crisis thwarts his plans.
In the movie, he presides over a housing program that helps benefit the residents, but his uncle accidentally loses a $8,000 sum that was intended to be deposited at the bank.
The money ends up in the hands of villain Henry Potter, who owns the bank, while George is left scrambling to cover up for his uncle’s blunder.
In one of the scenes, George says he wishes he was never born.
Clarence is seen talking to George, who is sitting down, and explains he has to earn his angel wings.
“You’ll help me, won’t you,” Clarence asks.
“Sure, sure,” George says as he scoffs.
George pointed out that the elderly figure didn’t have $8,000 to hand.
Then, in the abridged version, the scene appeared to cut out – a move that’s left some fans outraged.
In the original version, George despairs as he tells Clarence he believes he’s “worth more dead than alive.”
Clarence quickly rebuffs him and tells him that it will stop him from getting his wings.
“You don’t know all you have done,” he tells George.
George believes his family would be better off if he weren’t alive.
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In the scene, he’s flippant and doesn’t want to take on board what Clarence is trying to tell him.
Clarence was outraged when George told him he wished he had never been born.
In a shocking turn, Clarence grants George his wish.
George then finds out he’s not deaf and he doesn’t need to find money.
His lips had also stopped bleeding. He wiped his face, but there was no blood on his hand.
But, the town where George grew up had become sleazy.
FAN OUTRAGE
“Prime Video has an “abridged” version of It’s a Wonderful Life that removes the entire Pottersville scene where George sees life if he wasn’t born,” one movie lover raged on X.
“Beyond sucks there would ever be such a butchered version in the first place,” another said.
A third fan chimed in and compared it to the moment when the song “When Love is Gone” from the Muppets Christmas Carol.
Fans have urged streaming companies to leave the Christmas movie alone.
“Every digital and physical copy of this abridged version of It’s A Wonderful Life should be destroyed immediately,” a viewer scoffed.
“Amazon Prime just tried to start playing an abridged version of It’s a Wonderful Life,” another raged.
“The gall. The gumption. How dare they?”
Critics claimed that Amazon had ruined the classic flick.
And some feared that other Christmas classics would be next.
“Next, you are going to take all the ghosts out of the Scrooge movies?” a critic slammed.
There is no evidence that abridged versions of A Christmas Carol will air.
The U.S. Sun has approached Amazon for comment.