My Desert Island Movie

Rating: 10/10 (12 December 2001)

If I could take one film to a desert island, it would be this one. I am so pleased that so many of you have posted such lovely and deeply felt comments about 'Best Years' When I mention this film in polite company, I am usually met with a blank stare but this is England and it's not shown an awful lot over here. There are so many scenes that spring to mind but the one for me is when 'sarge' gets out of the cab in front of the swank apartment block were he lives with his family. He palms are sweaty and you can sense the anxiety, this is worse than the worse beach head, he cannot put it off any longer, he is literally, going in. When he reaches the door and what happens when it is opened is just pure magic. The joy on his daughters face, his plea for her not to make a sound, the sudden realisation on the face of his wife, could it be...after all these years, boy , I'm filling up now just thinking about it. What a service this film did for the vets, then and now. War changes people, you cannot be the same person, some change for the better, some for the worse but everyone is changed. Just by posting this little message makes me a part of my favourite film, thanks for letting me share this with you.