The Best Years of our Lives

This was an amazing movie about returning veterans from WWII. When I first got it in the mail from Netflix, I saw that it was 2 hours and 45 minutes, I was thinking another long movie. But once you start watching it sucks you in. Its about 3 WWII veterans who return home, each to a different family situation. One is married for 20years with two kids, one just got married right before he left for the war, and one had his hand badly burned that they had to be amputated and replaced with hooks. He is returning home to his girlfriend. Each men have different issues to deal with and need to readjust to home life. What is amazing about this film is how well it holds up over time. Maybe its because no matter what war it is the soldiers always have to come home and adjust. Doesn't matter if it is WWII, Vietnam, or the Iraq war, there is a period of adjustment when soldiers come back. Their are plenty of other movies that deal with returning veterans from the other wars, but what I found eye opening about this movie is that you always hear about the heroic welcome that soldiers got at the end of WWII, and how they are the greatest generation, but you don't hear about the struggles they had when they got back. The struggles to find work, to get a loan, to realize that your kids are different people now, or how to deal with feeling like a monster with hooks for hands. It shows that now matter what the war these will always be issues that are faced.

The Director William Wyler is the most nominated director of all time. He has 13 Best Directing nominations and 3 wins. Like Billy Wilder the year before he is one of the best directors of the time. Personally I think this is one of his best movies. Really captures the humanness of the soldiers and makes the story feel very real, even when it starts to get a little melodramatic at the end. Also, what makes the story feel real is Harold Russell who is a real life returning vet who lost his hand in the war. His character Homer Parish is one of the most memorable of the film. Maybe because he had lived it but for a non actor he brought such a presence to the screen and out shined some of the other actors. For that he won the Best Supporting Actor award for one of his only acting roles. He also won an honorary award "for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans through his appearance in The Best Years of Our Lives." This honorary award was probably given to him because the Academy did not think he would win the competitive Best Supporting Actor award, thus becoming the only actor win two Oscars the same year for the same role.

Other Facts
Second in a series of best picture winner that had a socially responsible message
Beat Its a Wonderful Life for best picture.
Was ranked at number 37 on AFI Greatest Films of all time.
One of the quotes I found most prophetic in the movie was when Fredric March's character comes home and his son asks him about the war.

Rob: Say, you were at Hiroshima, weren't you Dad?..Well, did you happen to notice any
of the effects of radioactivity on the people who survived the blast?
Al: No, I didn't. Should I have?
Rob: We've been having lectures in atomic energy at school, and Mr. McLaughlin,
he's our physics teacher, he says that we've reached a point where the whole
human race has either got to find a way to live together, or else uhm...
Al: Or else...?
Rob: That's right. Or else. Because when you combine atomic energy with jet
propulsion and radar and guided missiles, just think of the...