Walton Goggins' Favorite Christmas Film Is This 95%-Rated Classic That Flopped Upon Release

Macaulay Culkin and Ella Purnell chose Home Alone, and Aaron Moten chose Elf. However, Walton Goggins, who played the charismatic mutant Ghoul, went with the most classic choice.

His favorite is the timeless Frank Capra dramedy It's a Wonderful Life, which currently holds a 95% score but was a complete flop when it was released in 1946.

What Is 'It's a Wonderful Life' About?

The movie is set in the idyllic, fictional town of Bedford Falls. George Bailey, is an honest and compassionate family man who has sacrificed his dreams his entire life to support his family and help others.

When fate and the machinations of a miserly local man put his business on the brink of collapse and threaten to imprison him, George falls into despair and contemplates suicide.

In his time of need, Heaven sends a second-class angel named Clarence to show George what the world would be like if he had never been born.

'It's a Wonderful Life' Wasn't a Hit Upon Its Release

The irony of this classic is that it had a long and arduous path to fame. When it was released in 1946, It's a Wonderful Life failed to recoup its budget. It received mixed reviews from critics and even bankrupted its production company, Liberty Films.

Success came more than twenty years later when the movie began airing widely on television during the Christmas season.

These annual broadcasts, and later the spread of home video, turned It's a Wonderful Life into a national hit and holiday staple.

'It's a Wonderful Life' Is More Than a Life-Affirming Christmas Story

Though It's a Wonderful Life appears to celebrate kindness, family, and human brotherhood, its essence is far more complex and contradictory.

Beneath the nostalgia for a "golden age" and cozy small-town life lies a tragic tale of personal defeat, self-denial, and social pressure.

The finale is often criticized for being unrealistic. However, upon closer examination, the ending is not so positive: George's business is still lost, his financial problems remain unresolved, and his salvation comes only in the form of a temporary reprieve.

His happiness is not a triumph of justice but an existential realization of the value of each individual life.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'It's a Wonderful Life'?

• It's a Wonderful Life has 94% from critics and 95% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 8.6/10.

• On Letterboxd, It's a Wonderful Life scored 4.4/5.0.

Where to Watch 'It's a Wonderful Life'?

It's a Wonderful Life is available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime Video.