1946--The Best Years of Our Lives, William Wyler

1946--The Best Years of Our Lives, William Wyler
Nominated: Henry V, It's a Wonderful Life, Razor's Edge, The Yearling
Should Have Won: Notorious
Be Sure to See: Baseball Bugs, Racketeer Rabbit, Song of the South
"Your folks will get used to you and you will get used to them. Then everything will settle down nicely unless we have another war. Then none of us will have to worry because we'll all be blown to bits the first day. So cheer up, huh?"--Butch Engle

      There have been many war movies so consequently many movies focusing on soldiers' methods of coping with battle. The Best Years of our Lives focuses on how men cope with their home lives after the war is over. 

 

       Fred, Homer, and Al (why do I keep thinking Flintstone, Simpson and Bundy?), are flying home. Upon their arrivals, each has his own struggles of coping with home life. Fred has vivid dreams of war and is a little uptight. Not to mention his wife seems to have become more distant and self centered, caring more about Fred's income than happiness. Homer lost his hands and has almost mastered the hooks that have replaced them, but his family and fiance are struggling to accept them. And Al takes a job at a bank but struggles too. By the way, he makes $32.50 a week. This is 1946 money but is still significantly less than Ralph Kramden made driving a bus ten years later. I guess people wanted to help the veterans by giving jobs but not too much with the wages.

 

     The movie does a good job of distributing the stories. None of the characters really seem to be the “main” character. Each has his own struggles and story lines. Homer has accepted his hooks but there are moments when they clearly bother him like when he drops a glass or when he sees his friend playing a piano. I thought the prop department did a good job of hiding the actor's hands when putting on the hooks but later in the movie he takes his prosthetic off. Come to find out, the actor really was a double amputee. 

 

     It is a good movie and I cared about all the characters but they really overdo the sap, particularly on Homer's hands, or lack thereof. But the best scene does involve Homer's hooks. Fred punches a man in Homer's defense, jeopardizing his job. It is truly a great stunt fall, if nothing else, but a key moment in the movie about defending a friend and a civilian's take on whether or not the war was necessary. I thought the scene took the subject just far enough without being preachy. Others might not think so. 

 

     The title was curious to me until late in the movie when a character delivers it. I was surprised who says it and in the context. The title seems to be a sweet and positive message but the way it is delivered puts a nasty spin on it, but perhaps it still rings true. My take is it might mean something different to everyone. There is a wedding in the last scene and the movie could have easily ended with the line again in a different context. I'm kind of glad it didn't. Not everything can be roses when returning from war, I would imagine. The Best Years of our Lives was not afraid to express that. I should also note that the director is responsible for two other best picture winners, Ben-Hur being one of the best and Mrs. Miniver being one of the worst.