Amazon’s streaming service is under fire for airing an altered version of the beloved Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life, receiving backlash from not only fans of the movie but cinema as a whole.
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The bizarre change cuts what many consider to be a crucial part of the story in which the protagonist, George Bailey, a businessman and banker, contemplates what life would look like if he had never been born.
Highlights
- Amazon criticized for airing an altered version of 'It's a Wonderful Life'.
- Key scene removal deemed 'offensive' and 'disrespectful' by viewers.
- The changes are the result of the complicated copyright history of the film. Being in and out of public domain.
- Amazon Prime hosts three versions, including the controversial abridged version.
The scene sees his guardian angel show him an alternate reality in which, without him, his family-oriented community, Bedford Falls, becomes “Pottersville,” a coarse and vulgar place filled with betting, alcohol, and debauchery.
The moment is considered by many to be an essential turning point in George’s story, and its removal is “offensive” and “disrespectful.”
“They should have chosen not to stream it at all rather than destroy the story,” a reader said.
Amazon Prime is being slammed by viewers after airing a cut version of It’s a Wonderful Life, which removed a pivotal scene
Image credits: Paramount / Plex
Netizens flocked to social media to share their indignation about the changes, with many wondering about the cause behind the removal of the scenes.
Some theorized that the changes were made due to the sensitive topics the film touches on, as it deals with the meaning of life, depression, and hope. George Bailey reconsiders his existence throughout the story, and the classic “Pottersville” scene could be interpreted as a form of self-harm ideation.
“Why does the abridged version exist?” a viewer asked.
“Some misguided censored version. Can’t have the kiddies exposed to anything bad!” another replied.
Image credits: Paramount / Plex
The main cause for the edits, however, appears to have been the result of the complicated history of It’s a Wonderful Life, which entered the public domain due to a copyright renewal failure by Republic Pictures in 1974.
It was precisely the film’s temporary status as a public domain full-feature that allowed it to gain its “holiday classic” status, being freely broadcast each festive season on many TV channels without the need to pay royalties.
The movie entered—and then partially left—the public domain in 1993, which led to the abridged version’s creation, using non-copyrighted material
Image credits: Paramount / Plex
According to the Library of Congress, the movie became a yearly mainstay of living rooms across the country for close to 20 years.
However, all of that changed in 1993 when Republic Pictures notified all networks to stop playing It’s a Wonderful Life without the payment of royalties. The company was able to do this because they realized they still retained the rights to the original story the movie was based on: The Greatest Gift.
That meant parts of the movie directly adapted from The Greatest Gift became copyrighted material—while others did not. That, sadly, resulted in pivotal scenes such as the famous “Pottersville” dream sequence being cut alongside certain songs.
Image credits: Paramount / Plex
Republic Pictures was eventually bought by Paramount Pictures in 1998, which, in turn, made them the right-holders of the full, unabridged version of It’s a Wonderful Life.
The controversial abridged version was then released in 2007 by Legend Films, using the film’s public domain material.
Image credits: Paramount / Plex
Amazon Prime currently offers all three versions on its platform: the full version, credited to Viacom (part of Paramount Global); the colorized edition, credited to Paramount Pictures; and the abridged version, credited to Legend Films.
Regardless of what caused the edited version to exist, netizens raged against the streaming service for hosting the cut version
Image credits: Paramount / Plex
Many viewers were angry that the streaming service suggested the cut version instead of the original when searching on the platform, feeling that the changes made were “a crime against art.”
“My wife clicked this one by accident and I was confused as hell. Why would anyone watch this on purpose?” a user asked. “What kind of hack cut this version, anyway!?”
“This is why physical media is superior. It can never be censored, taken away from you, or banned for political reasons,” one reader said.
“Appalling. Just buy the 4K version. This is an essential film,” another stated.
“Wait, they took out nearly the entire Pottersville sequence?!” one viewer asked. “What is the point of the movie then?”
Others, aware of the complex copyright situation surrounding the movie, tried their best to explain what led to the scenes being cut.
“Paramount is the distributor of the ‘full’ versions of the film, with the Pottersville scenes and original music. The rest of the film is in the public domain,” one user wrote.
“There is no scenario where Amazon would be able to edit a film owned by another company to put on their service.”
"Unforgivable." Netizens were insulted by the movie's abridged version, labeling its changes as "criminal"
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