The Best Years of Our Lives

Last night while channel surfing later than usual, I came upon one of my favorite movies of the 40's. The Best Years of Our Lives was an Academy Award winning mega hit of its time. One of the first such movie to award I believe Best Supporting Actor statute to an unknown non-actor. Homer Parrish played by Harold Russell was a true veteran of World War II who had lost both arms in the war. In later years he actually had to auction his award off for financial reasons.

The story is timeless in that it reflects on the lives of three men coming back from the war to a much different small town. Frederic March, Dana Andrews and Harold Russell did a wonderful job in portraying what it was and still is like to return home after years in a war.

Several of the parts in the movie made me think it doesn't matter when it is be it any war things never change. Talk about how it would be harder on people's jobs because the soldier's were returning-some incomes had been higher paying than they would when they got back, the GI Bill for veterans returning home for housing loans, and people returning to jobs they once did and it just wasn't the same. How attitudes changed on why we fought in the war.

The title of the movie comes out at one point when Virgina Mayo who plays Dana Andrews war bride who married the uniform and not the man who came home so candidly puts it "Why I gave up the Best Years of My Life" while you were gone. Somehow I am sure than as in now, movie goers didn't agree with her statement but it goes to show things really don't change.

Harold Russell battled with whether he should marry his high school sweetheart, Wilma who felt arms didn't make a man, it's what is inside and working together to figure out how to continue was all that mattered, that still holds true for a lot of people even today who see loved ones return minus limbs and a load of psychological issues.

That old movie really isn't that old in my eyes. It still holds a lot of truth today. I am sure the next time its on a classic channel I'll make sure I watch it again..