The Best Years of Our Lives
(Note: This post was originally written in November 2012)
Today is Election Day in the U.S. I've been sitting on this post for a little while, but not because I give it any less value or that I think it's particularly difficult. I just had other things I wanted to do. Today, however, is probably the most appropriate time to get it out.
"The Best Years of Our Lives" was a 1946 film that won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The movie follows three servicemen who come home from WWII to find themselves out of place and behind the times. As each one adjusts to their new environments, we how see the mind, body, and spirit characters respond to common situations from the time.
One of the things that makes this film so special is that it was released during a time when men and women were experiencing the same types of situations. It very likely struck a chord with many viewers who had recently returned from their service in the European and Pacific Theaters in WWII.
I believe Election Day is appropriate for this post because without the men and women who lived those scenes, we might not have an election. I might not even be able to share all of this with you freely, as I currently do.
I often encourage people to see the movies or read the books I review in this blog to see the different characteristics at work. I encourage you to watch this one as a reminder that the men and women who went to war for the liberties we enjoy didn't stop suffering when the fighting stopped. Healing took time. And still does. So I dedicate this post to all servicemen and servicewomen who have come home from war and afterward had to learn to heal.
Homer lost his hands in an attack on his ship. He watched many of his shipmates die horrible deaths or experience even more gruesome disfigurement. He has hooks for hands, but he has learned to use them very well. He can even grab a cigarette from a pack and strike a match to light it. At first, he is proud of the progress he has made with his hooks. That is, until he comes home.
Homer was engaged before he left for the war and looked forward to returning to his fiancée. When he comes home, though, he worries that she will no longer accept him because he no longer has hands. He's afraid people will be scared of his disfigurement and think of him as some sort of monster.
With encouragement from his friends and his uncle, he finally allows his fiancée to see him at his weakest, when he's taken off his hooks. He is completely helpless at that point. Although he can pick up and drink a glass of beer with his hooks, he can't even open a door without them. His real fear is being a burden on others and having them resent him for it.
It should be noted that Homer was played by Harold Russell, a soldier who really lost his hands in a training accident during WWII. I would think he went through a lot of the same emotions as his character, bringing a certain reality to the role. Russell overcame his disability, learned to use his hooks just as Homer did (no stunts, no special effects, just real hooks), and eventually founded AMVET with an eye toward creating an international veterans association.
Al (Fredric March) comes home to find that his entire family has changed. His kids have grown into successful, knowledgeable adults. His daughter is out of high school and has been working in a hospital. His son is in high school and has new-found love for science and technology. His wife has learned to run the household on her own. He no longer knows what to do as a husband and father.
He goes through test after test, trial after trial, to redefine his role in his family and in his society. Each decision leads to another and then another. Does he take the new job? Does he trust the vet who comes to his bank for a loan? Does he stand between his daughter and her new boyfriend? Does he ignore his son's new passion for science or does he encourage it?
His development is based on intellectual decisions. He makes a fool of himself from time to time, but his wife, who loves him despite all that is happening around her, lets him make mistakes and learn from them. At times, it looks as though their marriage is strained, but that couldn't be further from the truth. His relationship with his family is actually the strongest of the three characters.
Fred (Dana Andrews) met a club singer/dancer during training and married her on a whim. Coming home, he is looking forward to settling down with his new wife, living the romantic dream life. Upon returning home, he finds that his wife is not waiting for him. She has found a job in a club and works nights. She's been living off his military pay, and now that he is out of the military, she hates her new life and resents Fred for dragging her into it.
Fred doesn't think ahead about what he would do for employment. His experience as a bombardier doesn't fit into any businessman's definition of 'experience,' so he must take an entry-level job and ends up working for the guy who was his assistant when he worked as a soda jerk at the local drug store.
While dealing with his broken marriage and his humble lifestyle, he meets Al Stephenson's daughter (this is the 'new boyfriend' mentioned above) and falls in love. They meet in secret and (scandal of all scandals) they kiss. Remember - this was 1946. This kind of behavior bordered on insanity. Ultimately, Fred's wife files for divorce and he is free to express his love toward his new love.
The movie ends with Homer's fiancée accepting him in 'sickness and in health,' Fred finding true love, and Al finding his place. It was a typical Hollywood happy ending, unlike a lot of endings that came out of the end of WWII. While this is a good study in mind, body, and spirit characters, it does not reflect what usually happens when a serviceman or servicewoman comes home from war. We often celebrate their service, but let us also support them in their healing.
Today is Election Day in the U.S. I've been sitting on this post for a little while, but not because I give it any less value or that I think it's particularly difficult. I just had other things I wanted to do. Today, however, is probably the most appropriate time to get it out.
"The Best Years of Our Lives" was a 1946 film that won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The movie follows three servicemen who come home from WWII to find themselves out of place and behind the times. As each one adjusts to their new environments, we how see the mind, body, and spirit characters respond to common situations from the time.
One of the things that makes this film so special is that it was released during a time when men and women were experiencing the same types of situations. It very likely struck a chord with many viewers who had recently returned from their service in the European and Pacific Theaters in WWII.
I believe Election Day is appropriate for this post because without the men and women who lived those scenes, we might not have an election. I might not even be able to share all of this with you freely, as I currently do.
I often encourage people to see the movies or read the books I review in this blog to see the different characteristics at work. I encourage you to watch this one as a reminder that the men and women who went to war for the liberties we enjoy didn't stop suffering when the fighting stopped. Healing took time. And still does. So I dedicate this post to all servicemen and servicewomen who have come home from war and afterward had to learn to heal.
The Body Character: Homer Parrish (sailor, enlisted or drafted)
Homer lost his hands in an attack on his ship. He watched many of his shipmates die horrible deaths or experience even more gruesome disfigurement. He has hooks for hands, but he has learned to use them very well. He can even grab a cigarette from a pack and strike a match to light it. At first, he is proud of the progress he has made with his hooks. That is, until he comes home.
Homer was engaged before he left for the war and looked forward to returning to his fiancée. When he comes home, though, he worries that she will no longer accept him because he no longer has hands. He's afraid people will be scared of his disfigurement and think of him as some sort of monster.
With encouragement from his friends and his uncle, he finally allows his fiancée to see him at his weakest, when he's taken off his hooks. He is completely helpless at that point. Although he can pick up and drink a glass of beer with his hooks, he can't even open a door without them. His real fear is being a burden on others and having them resent him for it.
It should be noted that Homer was played by Harold Russell, a soldier who really lost his hands in a training accident during WWII. I would think he went through a lot of the same emotions as his character, bringing a certain reality to the role. Russell overcame his disability, learned to use his hooks just as Homer did (no stunts, no special effects, just real hooks), and eventually founded AMVET with an eye toward creating an international veterans association.
The Mind Character: Al Stephenson (career soldier, enlisted)
Al (Fredric March) comes home to find that his entire family has changed. His kids have grown into successful, knowledgeable adults. His daughter is out of high school and has been working in a hospital. His son is in high school and has new-found love for science and technology. His wife has learned to run the household on her own. He no longer knows what to do as a husband and father.
He goes through test after test, trial after trial, to redefine his role in his family and in his society. Each decision leads to another and then another. Does he take the new job? Does he trust the vet who comes to his bank for a loan? Does he stand between his daughter and her new boyfriend? Does he ignore his son's new passion for science or does he encourage it?
His development is based on intellectual decisions. He makes a fool of himself from time to time, but his wife, who loves him despite all that is happening around her, lets him make mistakes and learn from them. At times, it looks as though their marriage is strained, but that couldn't be further from the truth. His relationship with his family is actually the strongest of the three characters.
The Spirit Character: Fred Derry (aviator/bombardier, officer)
Fred (Dana Andrews) met a club singer/dancer during training and married her on a whim. Coming home, he is looking forward to settling down with his new wife, living the romantic dream life. Upon returning home, he finds that his wife is not waiting for him. She has found a job in a club and works nights. She's been living off his military pay, and now that he is out of the military, she hates her new life and resents Fred for dragging her into it.
Fred doesn't think ahead about what he would do for employment. His experience as a bombardier doesn't fit into any businessman's definition of 'experience,' so he must take an entry-level job and ends up working for the guy who was his assistant when he worked as a soda jerk at the local drug store.
While dealing with his broken marriage and his humble lifestyle, he meets Al Stephenson's daughter (this is the 'new boyfriend' mentioned above) and falls in love. They meet in secret and (scandal of all scandals) they kiss. Remember - this was 1946. This kind of behavior bordered on insanity. Ultimately, Fred's wife files for divorce and he is free to express his love toward his new love.
The movie ends with Homer's fiancée accepting him in 'sickness and in health,' Fred finding true love, and Al finding his place. It was a typical Hollywood happy ending, unlike a lot of endings that came out of the end of WWII. While this is a good study in mind, body, and spirit characters, it does not reflect what usually happens when a serviceman or servicewoman comes home from war. We often celebrate their service, but let us also support them in their healing.
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