That’s the surprise you got if you selected the “abridged” version of the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Amazon Prime Video. Amazon streams the full version of the movie for Prime members, but the abridged version is available free for anyone, with ads. ‘The Greatest Gift’“It’s a Wonderful Life” is loosely based on the 1943 short story “The Greatest Gift,” written by Philip Van Doren Stern. In addition to Legend’s abridged version of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Amazon also streams Legend’s colorized version of the film for Prime customers. The story of the abridged version of “It’s a Wonderful Life” is as complex as the copyright saga itself.

Source: CNN December 26, 2025 22:37 UTC