<P> The film's elevation to the status of a beloved classic came decades after its initial release, when it became a television staple during Christmas season in the late 1970s . This came as a welcome surprise to Frank Capra and others involved with its production . "It's the damnedest thing I've ever seen," Capra told The Wall Street Journal in 1984 . "The film has a life of its own now, and I can look at it like I had nothing to do with it . I'm like a parent whose kid grows up to be president . I'm proud...but it's the kid who did the work . I didn't even think of it as a Christmas story when I first ran across it . I just liked the idea ." In a 1946 interview, Capra described the film's theme as "the individual's belief in himself" and that he made it "to combat a modern trend toward atheism". </P> <P> The film's positive reception has continued into the present, and review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes currently reports a 94% "Certified Fresh" approval rating . The website's critical consensus reads, "The holiday classic to define all holiday classics, It's a Wonderful Life is one of a handful of films worth an annual viewing ." </P> <P> Prior to the Los Angeles release of It's a Wonderful Life, Liberty Films mounted an extensive promotional campaign that included a daily advertisement highlighting one of the film's players, along with comments from reviewers . Jimmy Starr wrote, "If I were an Oscar, I'd elope with It's a Wonderful Life lock, stock and barrel on the night of the Academy Awards". The New York Daily Times published an editorial that declared the film and James Stewart's performance to be worthy of Academy Award consideration . </P> <P> It's a Wonderful Life received five Academy Award nominations: </P>

Who played the pharmacist in it's a wonderful life