The Best Years of Our Lives

Starring: Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, Harold Russell, Cathy O'Donnell, Hoagy Carmichael
Directed by: William Wyler
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama, Romance, War
1946

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary:Three military men (Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Harold Russell) return home from fighting in World War II, and try to reassemble their lives.

Review:

Tim: I really, really enjoyed The Best Years of Our Lives. It's fascinating to watch a film about soldiers and sailors returning home to civilian life after the end of World War II. What's even more interesting is that this film came out one year after the real end of that war. This is an extremely timely film dealing with an issue that thousands of soldiers were coping with in America in the 1940s. For that reason, in addition to being a piece of entertainment, I felt like this was an important film that had something to say.

William Wyler directs a great movie. We have three different men, each coping with the transition in their own ways. Their stories are connected, and as a result, we really get a good sense for common struggles of the military men. However, first and foremost, this is a movie about the characters and their relationships. I really did enjoy that aspect of the film.

The cast is pretty impressive. Fredric March won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role, and I admit that he is very, very good. He is just such a talented, accomplished actor, and he delivers a flawless performance here. What is surprising is that I actually liked Dana Andrews even more, and I'm disappointed that he received no nominations from the Academy. I understand that he was competing with March for the same prize, but Andrews gives such a realistic, believable performance. He makes you identify with and root for his character. He was easily the most interesting character in the film, and I wish Andrews was recognized more for bringing him to life. Still, these two men give excellent performances.

The third actor to mention is Harold Russell, who actually won two Academy Awards for this role (and first and only). He was given an Honorary Oscar for bringing hope to the military by his appearance (he was an actual soldier, not a trained actor). He also pulled off a shocking upset by winning Best Supporting Actor in his own right. This I struggle with a bit. I completely, totally support our troops, and I honestly cannot even fathom how Russell learned to cope with and continuing living with such a debilitating disability. He is far braver than I will ever be. However, I cannot shake the fact that the Academy gave him this award out of sympathy, not out of respect for his acting performance. He gives an earnest performance, but his acting ability is quite suspect. I understand the time period in which this movie came out and the desire to pay tribute to the sacrifices our soldiers made, but I just do not believe Russell deserved to win an Academy Award here.

It was nice to see Myrna Loy here in a small role, and I really liked Teresa Wright. I thought she gave a strong performance. The cast as a whole is quite good.

This film won an impressive 7 Academy Awards- Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, as well as Best Film Editing, Best Music, Best Writing- Screenplay, and Best Picture. The only award it lost out on was Best Sound Recording. I really enjoyed this film and I definitely believe it deserved a great deal of the acclaim it received. It is a timely, important movie about soldiers dealing with the return home, and it is critical for audiences to meditate on those struggles. It manages to educate while telling several very interesting stories. That being said, I would never claim this was the best movie of 1946- to me, that honor has to go to It's a Wonderful Life. Still, this is a great movie, and one that deserves the recognition it received. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and can't speak highly enough about it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Mrs. Miniver, All Quiet on the Western Front