The Best Years of Our Lives

1946

Directed by William Wyler

Netflix says… Winning seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, this classic drama follows three World War II veterans — Homer, Al and Fred, as they return to small-town America and try to come to terms with their experiences.

I had a hard time liking this one. It’s not that I think it’s a bad movie. I don’t think it would be considered for AFI’s top 100 if it were remotely considered a bad movie. I think I just had a hard time with it for the same reasons I have a difficult time with Oliver Stone’s movies. While I appreciate the realism portrayed here, particularly in dealing with the difficulty that war vets can have when returning to civilian life, I just found much of the movie to be depressing. And maybe that’s what they were going for. Maybe when we’re watching stories of men and women who come home from combat, we shouldn’t be looking for entertainment. But, and it’s possible this is just me, when I’m watching a movie or reading a book (unless it’s a documentary or non-fiction), it’s for entertainment purposes. I just didn’t find The Best Years of Our Lives to be all that entertaining to me.