La vita è bella
An unforgettable fable that proves love, family and imagination conquer all.
A touching story of an Italian book seller of Jewish ancestry who lives in his own little fairy tale. His creative and happy life would come to an abrupt halt when his entire family is deported to a concentration camp during World War II. While locked up he tries to convince his son that the whole thing is just a game.
Life Is Beautiful (1997) is a comedy and drama film directed by Roberto Benigni, released on December 20, 1997 with a runtime of 1h 56m. It stars Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini and Giustino Durano. Viewers rate it 8.4 out of 10 across 14,218 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Life Is Beautiful before you stream it.
Roberto Benigni
as Guido
Nicoletta Braschi
as Dora
Giorgio Cantarini
as Giosué
Giustino Durano
as Zio
Sergio Bini Bustric
as Ferruccio
Marisa Paredes
as Dora's Mother
Horst Buchholz
as Doctor Lessing
Lidia Alfonsi
as Mrs. Guicciardini
Giuliana Lojodice
as School Principal
Amerigo Fontani
as Rodolfo
Pietro De Silva
as Bartolomeo
Francesco Guzzo
as Vittorino
Directed by Roberto Benigni, written by Roberto Benigni, Vincenzo Cerami and Vincenzo Cerami, produced by Gianluigi Braschi and Elda Ferri.
Average viewer score of 8.4/10 from 14,218 ratings.
The first half of the screenplay is better than the second and in particular the weak ending which is very commercial Oscar material. However, there is Benigni, who is an old school visual comedian, and some of his antics are a delight. The period setting details are also well done.
Reviewed on June 9, 2020
<em>'Life Is Beautiful'</em> is certainly beautiful (in a sense), but is acutely haunting too. You can see where the film is heading from pretty much the get-go, though that only strengthens the grip that the film had on my mind. Evidently, it's an outstanding piece of filmmaking. I've, of course, seen plenty of flicks that feature this particular historical event, but I gotta say this one had a larger effect on me…
Reviewed on August 17, 2025
2023
2019
2023
2024
1999
2008
2015
1945
1999
2023
1960
2013
1948
2023
2003
1976
2001
2008
2010
1976
2014
1994
2006
2002
1985
2014
1966
2023
Movie
2008
1982
2002
1979
2002
2024
2021
2021
1962
2003
1971
Life Is Beautiful (1997) is available to stream on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, MGM Plus and Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, and to rent or buy from JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of Life Is Beautiful (1997) includes Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini, Giustino Durano and Sergio Bini Bustric. The film was directed by Roberto Benigni. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Life Is Beautiful was released on December 20, 1997 and runs for 1h 56m.
Life Is Beautiful (1997) holds an average rating of 8.4 out of 10 from 14,218 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy comedy and drama films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Life Is Beautiful trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
