Sober and well meaning but overly sentimental, director William Wyler (Ben Hur, Roman Holiday) explores the issues faced by three returning veterans immediately post World War II.
All traumatised, one severely disabled, the three have very different wartime experiences and homes to return to. In spite of this, on meeting on the journey home, they befriend each other. Al Stephenson (Fredric March – A Star is Born, Inherit the Wind) is a family man and successful banker whilst Homer Parrish (Harrold Russell) must deal with life without hands. Success in the military fails to translate at home as Fred Derry (Dana Andrews – Laura, The Ox-bow Incident) struggles to find work to keep his goodtime wife Marie (Virginia Mayo – White Heat, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty) in the style she has become accustomed to in his absence. The lives of the three men continue to cross as they attempt to settle into their new normalities.
At almost three hours, The Best Years of Our Lives shows immense respect to the trials faced by returning servicemen. But it is also a little cloying in its patriotism and romanticised solutions of doing the decent thing for men who risked their lives.
Nominated for 9 Oscars in 1947 – won 8 including best film, director, actor (Fredric March), supporting actor (Harrold Russell), screenplay (Robert E Sherwood).
Rating: 67%
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