Best Years of Our Lives

Approval Rate: 63%

63%Approval ratio

Reviews 11

Sort by:
  • by

    jtpatton

    Fri May 14 2010

    In my top five. Here's one movie that couples should enjoy together. I think Myrna Loy and Fredric March were great portraying how a grown-up married couple can adjust after being separated for so long. My only complaint is that I find their kids annoying, especially the son, but that may have been intentional. The scene where the pilot with PTSD sits in the plane in the scrapyard with sweat running down his face was subtle and brilliant. Just when you think he's going to snap and go off the deep end, the salvage guy comes up and yells, "What are you doing in there?" and winds up giving him a much-needed job is an example of emotional tension and release done really well. The portrayal of Homer by Harold Russell is truly amazing. He didn't need acting lessons for that role. I really like Hoagy Carmichael as his sympathetic but firm and wise uncle. In the hands of another director, this film could have become a syrupy-sweet maudlin disaster. It does have some moments where it gets clos... Read more

  • by

    traditionalist

    Mon Jul 21 2008

    You cannot say about this movie that it's not "real". But it is aso sad.

  • by

    spike65

    Thu Aug 23 2007

    Hard to top Randyman's review. Just let me add that everyone in this film from Homer's parents and little sister to the faithless wife of Dana Andrews (Virginia Mayo) were just right in their performances. Must be a testament to Wyler and perhaps the person that wrote the screenplay. A gem.

  • by

    randyman

    Sun Jan 21 2007

    The Best Years of My Life is one my favorite movies. It is a classic romantic drama in the true sense of the word, and to say that they dont make them like this anymore would be an understatement. It has a solid cast, that includes; Myrna Loy, Fredrick March, Dana Andrews (one of my favorites), Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, Hoagy Carmichael and Harold Russell. The story begins with three returning WWII veterans (March, Andrews, Russell) who meet on the flight back to their hometown, and centers around there difficulty returning back to their former lives. March's character returns to find his children have grown, and he and his wife must get reacquainted with each other all over again. Andrews returns to an unhappy and failing marriage and finds himself no longer in love with his wife. Perhaps the most heartbreaking role in the movie belongs to Harold Russell's character, who returns home from the war with out his hands, made all the more tragic because this paralleled Russ... Read more

  • by

    louiethe20th

    Sun Jan 21 2007

    Another masterpiece I ran across in my ongoing effort to view the all-time greats, with assistance from NetFlix. Just a wonderful, wonderful film. One of the better movies I have ever seen.

  • by

    willow569

    Tue Jun 20 2006

    This movie was well ahead of its time in dealing with issues such as post-traumatic stress and disabilities from combat injuries in war veterans. It was well written and had solid performances by the entire cast. A great movie!

  • by

    irishgit

    Fri Apr 15 2005

    A finely crafted, carefully scripted and well acted movie. It has aged surprisingly well, although it probably doesn't have much appeal for the gunfire and car-chase crowd.

  • by

    mistweave

    Sun Jul 20 2003

    This movie is a touching exploration of the human spirit and it is easy to see why it won as many awards as it did. The story deals with three men's problems of readjusting to life after World War II. One of the most poignant characters is Homer, who lost both of his arms during the war. Watching him struggle to adjust to his new life is truly heartbreaking. Homer and the other characters subtly point out the evils of war. They wasted the best years of their lives fighting this war and missed out on the most important thing in life, their time with their families. I can’t say enough about how wonderful this movie is; you need to see it for yourself!

  • by

    pineywoodsslim

    Sat Jan 05 2002

    If you're human, this movie will move your heart and make you think. The combination of excellent acting and a realistic script will lead you to consider what happens to those who personally pay the price of freeedom.

  • by

    lougab

    Mon Mar 05 2001

    A fantastic movie about WWII veterans returning to their everday lives after the war. This maybe the most intelligent movie about the stress of returing home after the a war. It deals with everything from physical impairment to changed emotional relationships due to the time and distance of the war.

  • by

    castlebee

    Fri Feb 23 2001

    This is a truly beautiful, touching movie dealing with the problems, readjustments and every day experiences encountered by veterans returning home from WWII. It is a timeless and universal tale about everyone who has ever left home and had to deal with something devastating in their lives and attempts to reconcile the inevitable changes within themselves with what they once had taken for granted as the norm. If you can't relate personally, you know someone who can. Great cast, great writing, great acting, and wonderful sentiment.