Barnes & Noble

The winner of seven major Academy Awards, this powerful classic explores the cynicism and despair underlying the nation's prevailing optimism and prosperity following World War II. Inspired by a Life magazine article, The Best Years of Our Lives interweaves the tales of three returning servicemen (Fredric March, Dana Andrews, and Harold Russell), each of whom has been drastically altered by his war experience and has difficulty adjusting to small-town civilian life. All three actors give legendary performances: March won the Oscar for Best Actor, and Russell, a real-life veteran who lost both his hands in a military accident, won a special Oscar for bringing "hope and courage" to other veterans. Stunning deep-focus cinematography by Gregg Tolland (Citizen Kane) and director William Wyler's subtle direction heighten the poignancy and depth of this unsurpassed social drama. A panoramic view of postwar American family life, The Best Years of Our Lives remains as relevant today as it was in 1946. Regina Raiford

All Movie Guide

The postwar classic The Best Years of Our Lives, based on a novel in verse by MacKinlay Kantor about the difficult readjustments of returning World War II veterans, tells the intertwined homecoming stories of ex-sergeant Al Stephenson (Fredric March), former bombadier Fred Derry (Dana Andrews), and sailor Homer Parrish (Harold Russell). Having rubbed shoulders with blue-collar Joes for the first time in his life, Al finds it difficult to return to a banker's high-finance mindset, and he shocks his co-workers with a plan to provide no-collateral loans to veterans. Meanwhile, Al's children (Teresa Wright and Michael Hall) have virtually grown up in his absence. Fred discovers that his wartime heroics don't count for much in the postwar marketplace, and he finds himself unwillingly returning to his prewar job as a soda jerk. His wife (Virginia Mayo), expecting a thrilling marriage to a glamorous flyboy, is bored and embittered by her husband's inability to advance himself, and she begins living irresponsibly, like a showgirl. Homer has lost both of his hands in combat and has been fitted with hooks; although his family and his fiancée (Cathy O'Donnell) adjust to his wartime handicap, he finds it more difficult. Profoundly relevant in 1946, the film still offers a surprisingly intricate and ambivalent exploration of American daily life; and it features landmark deep-focus cinematography from Gregg Toland, who also shot Citizen Kane. The film won Oscars for, among others, Best Picture, Best Director for the legendary William Wyler, Best Actor for March, and Best Supporting Actor for Harold Russell, a real-life double amputee whose hands had been blown off in a training accident. Hal Erickson

Product Details

• UPC: 027616850133
• Source: MGM (VIDEO & DVD)
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1)
• Presentation: B&W
• Sound: Dolby Digital, monaural
• Language: English, Español
• Subtitles: English, Español, Français
• Time: 2:48:00
• Sales Rank: 4,238

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