It's a Wonderful Life (U)

It's a Wonderful Life is coming to Liverpool Philharmonic Hall this December, with two screenings on opposite sides of the Christmas break. Frank Capra's 1946 classic stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a small-town everyman who, deep in debt and at the end of his luck, contemplates suicide on a snowy Christmas Eve. His impish guardian angel Clarence, played by Henry Travers, takes him on a journey through an alternative Bedford Falls, where he discovers what the town would be like without him and learns lessons of love, loyalty and what it means to lead a wonderful life. Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore also star, and the film has become a cherished Christmas tradition, its humour and gentleness at times imbued with an almost Dickensian darkness.

This particular screening is presented newly remastered from the original film negatives and available in High Dynamic Range, so it's a chance to see the whole thing in a bit more detail than you might have before. It runs without orchestral accompaniment, so it's just the film on its own. If you've seen it a dozen times, it's a good excuse to watch it again on a big screen; if you've never seen it, it's a decent place to start.

There are two dates to choose from: Sunday 20 December at 7:30pm, and Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December, at 3:00pm. The latter is a matinee, so it's a good one to slot in before the main Christmas Eve rush. Tickets start from £13, and the venue is Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on Hope Street, L1 9BP.