It Was a Wonderful Life (1993)

Feature-length documentary deals with homeless women, once secure in their middle-class status, who through divorce, misfortune, or circumstances were reduced to living on the street.

Director:

Michèle Ohayon

Stars:

Jodie Foster, Lou Hall, Reena Sands

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Jodie Foster	...	Herself / Narrator (voice)
Lou Hall	...	Herself (as Lou)
Reena Sands	...	Herself (Ronella) (as Reena [Ronella])
Josephine	...	Herself
Marie	...	Herself
Terry	...	Herself
Alice	...	Herself
Marjorie Bard	...	Herself: Author, "Shadow Women" (as Dr. Marjorie Bard)
Jeanette Goldberg	...	Herself (as Jeanette)
Steve Renehan	...	Himself: City of Los Angeles Housing Authority
Gordon Tuthill	...	Himself: Apartment Building Owner
Wayne Doss	...	Himself: Director of Child Support Operations, L.A. County, District Attorney's Office
Dennis Cohen	...	Himself: Center for Enforcement of Family Support
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Linda Hernandez	...	Herself: Parking Enforcement, City of Santa Monica

Storyline

Feature-length documentary deals with homeless women, once secure in their middle-class status, who through divorce, misfortune, or circumstances were reduced to living on the street.

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Plot Keywords:

divorce | single parent | narration | single mother | homelessness | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Company Credits

Production Co:

CineWomen, Jenny Craig Inc., Ridgebury Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

[first lines]
Title Card: Thousands of homeless people in the United States are hidden and go unrecognized as homeless. The majority of them are women.
Title Card: This film is dedicated to the "Hidden Homeless" women who came forward to tell their stories and allowed us into their lives.

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Soundtracks

"Misty"
Courtesy of Octave Music Publishing Corporation
Limerick Music Corporation
Timo Co. Music
Reganesque Music Co.
Composed by Erroll Garner
Lyrics by Johnny Burke
(ASCAP)

User Reviews

Absolutely haunting

I saw this film on cable about ten years ago and have been haunted by it ever since. I had tried to get a copy of this movie for years but very few existed and the ones that were for sale on Ebay usually went upwards of 100 dollars thanks to fervent Jodie Foster fans trying to complete their collections. A few months ago, the DVD copy was released and is now widely available at a reasonable price. I have been passing my copy around for all my friends to see and I highly recommend this movie to anyone with a social conscience; it is absolutely haunting. Although it is a sad topic, this movie does not bring you down. You find yourself drawn into the lives of these women and fascinated by their innovative ways of survival. Also, you must stick around for the closing credits to get the final story on one of the subjects. This film goes beyond the realm of "movies as entertainment".

"It Was A Wonderful Life" is a movie that could impact your perceptions and the way you live your life.