The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

VHS CASE/SIDE

Length of Film: 174 Minutes

Rated:  Approved

Genre: Drama, Romance, War

Director: William Wyler

Starring: Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virgina Mayo, Cathy O’Donnell, Harold Russell

IMDB Rank: 8.0/10

Part 1 Time:  94 Minutes

Part 2 Time:  80 Minutes

***Intermission point coincides with the end of tape one in the VHS format.

Where does the first part end? Homer Parrish (Harold Russell) gets his father to help him get ready for bed.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: Homer Parrish speaks to his father before going to bed “Goodnight Pop, thanks.”

First line of dialogue on the second part: “Hello Babe.” Fred Derry (Dana Andrews) walks into his loft with groceries, Marie (Virginia Mayo) is surprised.

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal/heartfelt, at this point in the film Homer, Fred, and Al (Fredric March) are all attempting to reintegrate back into American Society. Through each of these men we see the everlasting social, physical, and emotional effects caused by World War Two. Will each of these men be able to successfully adapt to a peace time society?

Which part is better? Although part one gives the audience context into the different lifestyles of Homer, Fred, and Al. Each character is faced with life decisions that challenge their ideals about family, society, and appearance. Part two is better as we are able to see the impact of the choices made by each character and how these choices shape their changed persona.

Academy Awards: Honorary Award (Harold Russell), Best Picture, Best Actor (Fredric March), Best Supporting Actor (Harold Russell), Best Director, Best Writing-Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Music-Scoring of aDramatic or Comedy Picture, Best Sound-Recording (Nominated).

National Film Registry: 1989