The story of three veterans returning from World War II, and the trials they (and their families) face readjusting to civilian life. One of the most thought-provoking films I've ever seen about an issue that older audiences can relate to and younger audiences can learn a lot from. (I sure did.) Believable, true-to-life performances by the entire cast including Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright, Dana Andrews and real-life veteran Harold Russell, brought about by director William Wyler. An absolute must-see.

A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN (1946)

A masterful film adaptation of Betty Smith's classic novel about a young girl and her family growing up poor in Brooklyn at the turn of the century. Daily life is captivating, but the real story is the timeless conflict between a young girl and her mother in the face of a magnificent adoration of her father. Peggy Ann Garner gives the best performance I've ever seen by a child star, and she's magnificently flanked by Dorothy McGuire and James Dunn as her parents. It may sound strange to say this, but watch the movie first and then read the book.

MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)

My favorite Jimmy Stewart movie and one that every American (especially every American public servant) ought to see. Stewart plays Jefferson Smith, a starry-eyed country patriot who gets appointed to the U.S. Senate by the political machine in his state whose masterminds think they can control him. David takes on Goliath however (Smith gets a little help from secretary Jean Arthur.), and the result is a film everyone should be proud of. Don't miss fine performances by Claude Rains and Harry Carey, Sr. either.

HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY (1941)

The beautiful story of a young boy (Roddy McDowall) growing up in Wales during the Industrial Revolution. Adapted for the screen from Richard Llewellyn's novel, John Ford directed this stunning masterpiece and it not only tells the story of young Huw, but that of his family members and his valley in a time when nothing seemed to be going right for the poor working class. Beautifully acted by all involved including Donald Crisp, Sara Allgood, and Rhys Williams. The love story between Walter Pidgeon and Maureen O'Hara (stunning at just 20 years old) is not to be missed.

MRS. MINIVER (1942)

A little dated given the subject matter but still a fabulous film, Greer Garson stars as the title character in this story of an "average English middle-class family" who stiffens its upper-lip and carries on despite the ravaging destruction of German bombs during World War II's Battle of Britain. Propaganda? No doubt. But there are moments in this film that you can't help but relate to (and even smile at), and it's easy to see how audiences of the time could take so well to it. (It was one of the biggest blockbusters of the 1940s.)

THE LITTLE FOXES (1941)

You might save MR. SMITH to watch after this film because it will help restore your faith in humanity after this back-stabbing, greedy family of post-Civil War carpet-baggers calls it all into question. The Hubbards are about the worst lot you can imagine-- taking advantage of everyone from the local poor to each other in an effort to turn a buck-- but what makes this film so good is how realistic it all seems. Director Wyler makes it easy to find familiar personality traits in the characters, even in a period piece like this. And a fine job is done all around by the actors as well, including Bette Davis, Teresa Wright, Herbert Marshall, Dan Duryea, and especially Patricia Collinge. Don't expect to fall in love with this one and want to watch it over and over again, but it's an excellent film.

ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)

My favorite of Bette Davis' performances (She's at her cigarette- smashing, catty, matriarchal best.) and the one with which she came roaring back after a slump in the late forties. Bette plays an aging stage star who is confronted by a young (conniving) ingénue played by Anne Baxter, and who fights this threat to her career while beginning to re-evaluate what is really important in her life. Fine supporting performances are also given by George Sanders, Thelma Ritter and Celeste Holm.

THE HEIRESS (1946)

Montgomery Clift has a little trouble fitting the period (19th century New York City), but Olivia de Havilland's portrayal of a wealthy, socially-inept spinster who is wooed for her money is so convincing it's almost scary. Another film you won't necessarily want to watch over and over again, except perhaps to marvel at William Wyler's fabulous film-making and his ability to bring to life a believable story and pry performances from actors that make their characters so easy to relate to.

ALL THE KING'S MEN (1949)

This is the story of what might have happened in MR. SMITH if Jimmy Stewart had taken the other fork in the road. Broderick Crawford is a small town political hopeful who begins his career with the right ideas but eventually finds himself on the side he once fought against. Great acting by Crawford and Mercedes McCambridge, and a special treat for those who like the workings of backroom politics.

THE LOST WEEKEND (1945)

Ray Milland plays a writer turned alcoholic and Jane Wyman is the woman in love with him who tries to save him. A better movie than it sounds like, and especially haunting at times with its stark realism about alcoholism. Milland gives a fine performance too.

THE YEARLING (1946)

The story of a young boy (played by Claude Jarman, Jr.) who lives with his parents in the Florida everglades and is dying for a pet. When he's finally allowed to keep an orphaned fawn he names Flag, the love between the two grows just as Flag gets big enough to cause real problems on the farm. Gregory Peck does a fine job as young Jody's understanding father as does Jane Wyman as his hard, distant mother, and Jarman gives an excellent performance for a star of his age. With a story that's this classic, you might wonder why it's never been remade-- that is until you see this film and realize how hard it would be to improve upon. Technicolor, by the way.

THE NUN'S STORY (1959)

Audrey Hepburn puts romantic comedies aside for a little bit and tries her hand at some real dramatic acting. She successfully portrays a nun who goes to the Belgian Congo to serve as a nurse and eventually begins to question her commitment to the order. Overall, a good movie.

CHARIOTS OF FIRE (1981)

Inspiration is a word that serves very well in describing this bio-pic of two runners who competed for England in the 1924 Olympics. One, Eric Liddel, faces the inner turmoil of choosing between running and his call to be a missionary. For the other, Harold Abrahams, his own demanding self-centeredness and the fact that he's Jewish prove his true trials. Well acted without any superstars, and scored with seemingly unconventional yet quite fitting music. The cinematography is impressive too.

THE WRONG MAN (1957)

Different from many other Hitchcock films, you watch this movie and at the end are grateful that our criminal justice system doesn't work like that anymore-- at least you hope it doesn't. Henry Fonda is wrongly accused of a series of armed robberies and the effects are devastating. Fonda does a good job of expressing the accused's sense of bewilderment at the whole affair, and Vera Miles as his wife does an okay job of cracking under the strain of it all. Not as suspenseful as Hitchcock usually is (hence the film's listing under Dramas and not Suspense/ Mysteries), but still an interesting film.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)

If somehow you've managed never to see this movie in its entirety or if it's been a while, grab a blanket sometime around Christmas, camp out on the couch and pop this one in the VCR. Furthermore, don't get so down halfway through the film that you turn it off either (as I've known a few people to do). If you don't see the end then you've missed the whole point of the movie. Jimmy Stewart is George Bailey, a man with big dreams who gets stuck in his little hometown of Bedford Falls all his life because his conscience keeps him doing the honorable thing. Time and time again things don't go George's way, and he finds himself contemplating suicide because his life insurance policy is worth more than he is. A wonderful guardian angel in training named Clarence (played by Henry Travers) comes down to set him straight however, and the movie's title pretty much sums it all up. A nice feel-good movie, and good acting all around by Stewart, Travers, Lionel Barrymore and a host of other supporting characters including Thomas Mitchell.

CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (1958)

Tennessee Williams film adaptations can be a little much for me sometimes (SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER (1959) for example), but this movie proves entertaining drama as Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman ride the roller coaster of an unhappy marriage while their entire southern family attempts to suck up to it's rich dying patriarch, Big Daddy (played by Burl Ives). The reasons for the unhappy marriage are a little ambiguous due to a few changes made to satisfy the Production Code, but the sugary southern selfishness of the family members still comes across and has an impact. Good entertainment at the very least.

GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT (1947)

The anti-Semitism message of this film was a lot more powerful in its time than it is now, but in a larger sense, the issue of racism and those who don't necessarily condone it yet are content to let it slide is still a meaningful one today. Gregory Peck plays a reporter who pretends he's Jewish so he can write a series on anti-Semitism. His little scheme creates for him more hardships than he imagined and it even threatens to break up his relationship with his girlfriend played by Dorothy McGuire. While the romantic side of the film is a little forced, and you almost find yourself cheering for the "other woman" (fellow newsperson Anne Dettry played marvelously by Celeste Holm), the film is still thought provoking and well worth a look.

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT (1992)

Another movie in which a modern heart-throb does a fair job of acting-- this time it's Brad Pitt. A very well done adaptation of Norman MacLean's autobiographical story about the different paths of life chosen by two brothers and the fly fishing that holds them together through it all. The cinematography is beautiful to say the least, and while getting the whole of MacLean's river/life metaphor on film is really an impossible endeavor, this movie does make a commendable stab at it.

As good a courtroom drama as I think I've seen. Demi Moore and Tom Cruise as the leads and surprisingly everyone keeps his clothes on. (It's the language that got the film it's R rating.) The story of two Marines on trial for a hazing that resulted in the death of one of their fellow servicemen, the plot is intriguing (though at times perhaps a little simplistically presented) and the dialogue fires round after round of memorable quotations, especially those of Jack Nicholson who does a great job as the tough commanding officer of the naval base where the incident occurred. Pretty good for a Demi Moore movie.

DEAD POETS' SOCIETY (1989)

Robin Williams puts his talents as an actor to the test and succeeds in this story of an off-the-wall teacher in a prestigious New England boarding school. The "Carpe Diem" theme isn't as profound as it could be, but the acting is good and parts of the movie are fun too.

Also:

• ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976)
• AMADEUS (1984)
• ANASTASIA (1956)
• THE APARTMENT (1960)
• BILL OF DIVORCEMENT (1932)
• BLOSSOMS IN THE DUST (1941)
• BOYS' TOWN (1938)
• THE CHILDREN'S HOUR (1962)
• CITIZEN KANE (1941)
• DAISY KENYON (1947)
• THE DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES (1962)
• A DOUBLE LIFE (1947)
• DRIVING MISS DAISY (1989)
• ELMER GANTRY (1960)
• THE FIGHTING SULLIVANS (1944)
• FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)
• THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)
• GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER (1967)
• HOOSIERS (1986)
• THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1939)
• JANE EYRE (1944)
• JEZEBEL (1938)
• JOHNNY BELINDA (1948)
• KING'S ROW (1942)
• THE LAST EMPEROR (1987)
• A LETTER TO THREE WIVES (1949)
• LITTLE WOMEN (1933)
• THE LONG WALK HOME (1990)
• THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (1942)
• THE MISSION (1986)
• MORNING GLORY (1933)
• A NIGHT TO REMEMBER (1958)
• THE RAINMAKER (1956)
• RAIN MAN (1988)
• THE RAZOR'S EDGE (1946)
• REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955)
• SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)
• SINCE YOU WENT AWAY (1944)
• THE SNAKE PIT (1948)
• THE SONG OF BERNADETTE (1943)
• THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS (1957)
• THE STAR (1952)
• A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951)
• A THOUSAND CLOWNS (1965)
• TITANIC (1953)
• TO EACH HIS OWN (1946)
• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)

Return to the Index of Recommended Films.