No Movie Is A Failure That Spawns Parodies

It goes without saying that It's A Wonderful Life is the greatest Christmas movie ever made. Some (myself included) might even argue that it's one of the greatest films of all time.

I might someday devote an entire post to explaining IAWL's undeniable appeal, but for now I'm going to focus on a fringe benefit of the movie's popularity: parodies. Any film that receives such a heralded place in popular culture must also endure comedic scrutiny. Join me now on a Yuletide YouTube tour of some creative tributes to my favorite Christmas flick.

SNL's IAWL Lost Ending
This one plays every year on the SNL Christmas special and it's my favorite. The skit is a who's who of awesome 1990s SNL cast members with Phil Hartman characteristically stealing the scene as Uncle Billy and an intro by William Shatner. I think this version of the ending ties things up nicely.



Behind the Scenes of IAWL
This fairly funny Flash animation offers a look back at the making of the movie.



IAWL: Stick Figure Theatre
One of the movie's best moments as you've never seen it before--performed by stick figures! The looseleaf background adds a lot.



IAWL in 30 seconds (and re-enacted by bunnies)
I can't embed this one, but click here to see exactly what the title promises.


IAWL: The Music Video?
I came across this 1980s musical gem last year. While not a parody per se, Fishbone gets major props for tersely summarizing the movie with lyrics such as "Got thrown out the bar/Then I wrecked my car/Got socked in the jaw/Cursed out by my Mama." You kind of just have to watch this one.



IAWL: The Original
If you want to watch the movie, it looks like the entire film is free for your viewing pleasure on Google Video right now. Just press play! Hee haw!