Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

sol- Readjusting to civilian life proves challenging for three World War II veterans in this sombre drama from William Wyler. Clocking in at close to three hours, the film has received some criticism about its length, but the ample runtime allows the film to properly flesh out all three protagonists and the camaraderie that develops between them as they meet while sharing a flight back to the same hometown. Fredric March won an Oscar for his portrayal of a banker unable to instantly return to being the shrewd businessman that his colleagues expect of him. Dana Andrews was not Oscar nominated but is equally as effective as a pilot haunted by nightmares of war and vexed by a selfish wife who believes that he could just "snap out of it" if he really wanted to. The best performance comes from Harold Russell though, a nonprofessional actor who really did lose his hands during the war. There is a truly heartfelt moment when he smashes a glass window and the film handles his uncertainty over whether his fiancée really still loves him very well. At times, the movie edges into melodramatic territory with Hugo Friedhofer's overbearing score no help, but it flows pretty smoothly in general. There also is a lot to like about how Wyler sets the film entirely in the aftermath of the war and yet manages to convey just how much each man is changed by his experiences.

higherall7 I must have seen this film ten times on the Bill Kennedy Show while growing up. Sometimes in snippets and often times all the way through. I have seen it over a half a dozen times on Turner Classic Movies. I remember seeing it in my high school English Literature text book. The only screenplay I ever saw in a book about serious literature. Now I finally have a DVD copy of it for my personal collection. I still can't believe it runs nearly three hours. It just never seemed that long.Strange how time is affected when you become involved in a story. CITIZEN KANE always seems longer than it really is; nearly three hours and yet it barely comes in under two hours. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES is the exact opposite. It seems like it comes in under two hours, but runs nearly three.Go figure.This is an entirely character driven story that doesn't depend on sex and violence to carry the narrative. It could have easily degenerated into soap opera, but somehow never does. The chemistry between the three male leads; Dana Andrews as Fred Derry, Harold Russell as Homer Parrish and Fredric March as Al Stephenson is largely responsible for this. But this is still one of the greatest examples of ensemble acting in cinema because it all seems so ordinary and everyday and effortlessly true to life.The women are also a revelation. Myrna Loy as March's wife Milly Stephenson hits all the right notes as the beleaguered wife, Teresa Wright shines as their bewildered daughter, unwillingly caught in a love triangle between Fred Derry and his wife, Marie, memorably portrayed by Virginia Mayo. Cathy O'Donnell is achingly poignant as Homer Parrish's girl friend Wilma Cameron, sympathetically standin' by her man with no hands.Russell won two Oscars for his moving portrayal as Homer Parrish and I have never been more reluctant to write a spoiler. This time I'll just advise you to see for yourself what his performance is all about. Dana Andrews as Fred Derry gives one of the best interior monologues you will ever see in film and hungover Fredric March waxes eloquent about the rights of the returning veteran.Here is a great place to start dissecting that complex of relationships that make for absorbing drama. There is nothing forced or histrionic about this film. The ending I found resoundingly fitting as everything fell into place. You should easily be able to relate the experiences of your own life to what you see on the screen. Even so, this 'life as it is' version of service men returning home from war will register stirring, vivid images in your mind that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

jacobs-greenwood This Best Picture Oscar winning film about veterans returning home from World War II includes disabled Army veteran Harold Russell (in his screen debut), who received two Oscars (Best Supporting Actor and Honorary for bringing hope & courage to his fellow veterans) for his performance, the only time an actor has received two Oscars for the same performance.Producer Samuel Goldwyn's greatest success (and that's saying something!) is directed by William Wyler (of course) who also took home the gold, along with Best Actor Frederic March, Writing, Editing, and Musical Score (the Sound was nominated). The excellent cast includes Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, Cathy O'Donnell, Hoagy Carmichael, Gladys George, and Ray Collins. Added to the National Film Registry in 1989. #37 on AFI's 100 Greatest Movies list. #11 on AFI's 100 Most Inspiring Movies list.March, Andrews as Fred, and Russell as Homer have returned home from the war to discover changes in themselves and their loved ones. Loy plays March's wife, Wright his daughter; Mayo plays Fred's wife, George his stepmother; O'Donnell plays Homer's fiancée. Though initially they go their separate ways, the veterans find that they are able to relate to each other in ways that their families cannot.

ceb I disagree with those who only went so far as to call "The Best Years of Our Lives" one of the best movies about returning servicemen. I believe it is one of the best movies ever made, period. It alternates with "Casablanca" for my all-time favorite movie, depending on which one I have seen most recently.The best compliment I can pay to this movie is that I hold it in such high regard despite having gone into my first viewing wanting to hate it. How dare this film win the best picture Oscar over my favorite movie (at the time) "It's a Wonderful Life," went my thinking. But when I saw "Best Years," I was blown away and I understood."Best Years" has an unbelievable number of scenes that bring a tear to the eye or a lump to the throat, with only a couple of those being the result of sadness, and with most being caused by beautiful depictions of love, loyalty, pride, patriotism, or the overcoming of personal adversity. I only need to hear the opening strains of the Homer and Wilma theme music before the bedroom scene to start losing it.What I enjoy most about the plot is how steadfast all of the lead women are, each in their own unique way. I know Harold Russell and Fredric March won the Oscars-- and they were great-- but for me, Dana Andrews as Fred and the wonderful Teresa Wright as Peggy are the standouts. I find Fred's statement that Peggy should be put into mass production to be very apt.One final aspect of the movie that fascinates me is how it can be such a perfect time-capsule of 1940s America, yet still not feel dated in terms of its human interactions.I am on the clock, waiting for my next opportunity to enjoy this complete and utter masterpiece!