Amazon Prime Video is drawing fierce criticism from moviegoers after viewers discovered the platform is streaming a severely edited version of the 1946 Christmas classic “It’s A Wonderful Life” that removes a crucial 20-minute segment from the film.
The edited version available on the streaming service cuts out the entire “Pottersville” sequence, shortening the movie from its original 130-minute runtime to approximately 110 minutes.
This omission has sparked outrage among fans who consider the removed segment essential to the film’s narrative and emotional impact.
Frank Capra directed the original film, which features Jimmy Stewart in the lead role as George Bailey.
The character is portrayed as a selfless man living in the fictional town of Bedford Falls who faces a financial crisis on Christmas Eve.
The story follows George as he contemplates ending his life due to impending financial ruin caused by Henry Potter, the town’s greedy business tycoon who serves as the main antagonist.
George’s guardian angel, Clarence, intervenes at this critical moment.
In the complete version of the film, Clarence shows George an alternate reality where he was never born.
This sequence demonstrates the positive influence George had on his community and loved ones throughout his life.
The removed “Pottersville” segment depicts a dystopian version of Bedford Falls that exists in George’s absence.
In this alternate world, the town transforms into Pottersville, characterized by poverty, vice and despair.
Clarence guides George through this bleak vision, revealing the devastating consequences of his nonexistence.
The sequence shows George’s brother drowning as a child, his uncle being institutionalized and the entire town falling under Potter’s control.
This pivotal section leads directly to George’s realization about the value of his life and his ultimate decision to embrace it.
The abridged edition completely eliminates this alternate reality segment, causing the story to jump abruptly from George’s moment of crisis to his sudden change of heart.
The film draws inspiration from Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and is widely considered one of the greatest Christmas movies ever made.
Fans have long cherished it as a holiday tradition.
Social media users and longtime admirers of the film have expressed their disgust and confusion over the edited version.
“I kid you not, Amazon Prime is running a version of this movie with this entire sequence removed—completely edited out—to make it less ‘dark.’ Sacrilege. Damn streamers,” said one popular film account on X.
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Other viewers have labeled the cut an “abomination” or “sacrilege.” However, the editing decision does not originate with Amazon as a creative choice.
The existence of abridged versions stems from the film’s complex copyright history.
The movie entered the public domain in 1975 after its copyright was not properly renewed.
The “Pottersville” alternate-reality storyline is directly adapted from Philip Van Doren Stern’s short story “The Greatest Gift,” whose copyright was properly maintained and remains protected.
Paramount now controls the rights to the protected source material through various acquisitions.
Distributors creating public-domain versions have removed elements too closely tied to the copyrighted source material to avoid potential infringement claims.
These truncated edits preserve most of the film but remove its pivotal climax.
Some releases have also replaced or altered the original musical score for similar copyright reasons, though the “Pottersville” cut remains the most noticeable and controversial modification.
Full, uncut versions that are properly licensed from Paramount include the complete sequence with all original elements intact.
Viewers seeking the authentic experience of the classic film must ensure they are watching a properly licensed version rather than a public-domain edit.
