the best years is one of the best films

Rating: 10/10 (22 February 2011)

Reading the reviews you can see a plethora of positivism, and very well deserved for this excellent film.
A few of the problems experienced by the WW2 vets are still fairly familiar, but the important thing about this movie is that it has always been a vital piece of history, a real learning experience.
More importantly is the way it examines the lives of the trio of returning veterans, each with different worries, different problems.
One of the main things is their worrying about reactions from family, friends, and the public. The transition to civilian life is not easy, although it was much easier then than now.
The current variety of wars are, to say the least, not too popular and the public sometimes has the tendency to take their frustrations out on the servicemen.
In those days, there was more embrace.
The movie's cast is top notch - March, Russell, and Andrews who, in those years, seemed to have been in every third 20th Century Fox movie. He was a workhorse who played a variety of roles and played all of them convincingly.
Hoagy Carmichael, Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright, and cute Cathy O'Donnell were all perfect for their roles. Russell, with zilch acting experience, was remarkable and received a well deserved pair of Oscars - one for his performance, the other for his inspiration.
It was sad to read about his son, currently spending his time in jail. These are not the best years of his life.
Back to the movie. It is one of the best.