Good call for the AFI

Rating: 9/10 (10 April 2001)

Here is one of the titles which I had never been exposed to. Never heard it mentioned in passing, had it recommended by a friend, noticed it in any way, shape or form. Yet there it was, smack dab in the middle of the AFI list. My expectations were decidedly modest, without any big name stars except Myrna Loy (and William Wyler directing, of course). Noting the year of release (1946), and the subject matter, (veterans returning from WWII), I was half-expecting a dated classic, which would stand up as a piece of historical interest, but not really place high on the enjoyable scale. I'm pleased to say that I was way off base. This turned out to be a film chock-full of outstanding performances, wrapped around a script which took its time unfolding. It followed three veterans returning from the war with relative degrees of success. Each had his own set of problems to deal with while readjusting, and each dealt with success and failure in their own ways. I found myself actively rooting for each character to come through, even though I typically am hesitant to embrace Hollywood style happy endings. Scores a 9 / 10. See it with less trepidation and more enthusiasm than I did.