Mrs. Miniver
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Movie Reviews of Mrs. Miniver
Movie Review: EXCEPTIONAL WAR TIME MELODRAMA/BEAUTIFUL TRANSFER!
Summary: 5 Stars
"Mrs. Miniver" is one of those non-factual, war time propaganda tear jerkers that has proven itself to be enduring and immensely entertaining. Upon its release, Winston Churchill declared the film more influential in getting America involved in WWII than a fleet of destroyers. The plot concerns Mrs. Miniver (Greer Garson) the atypical English housewife quietly enduring the hardships of war and capturing a downed Nazi pilot in her begonias in the process. It sounds hoaky but actually the story is incredibly stirring. Walter Pigeon, Garson?s frequent costar, is cast as her tender husband, Clem. Richard Ney plays her slightly opinionated son, Vin who rises to the occasion and becomes a flyer for the RAF. Aside: Ney and Garson were carrying on an affair during the filming that eventually resulted in a disastrous marriage and a quicky divorce. Oh well, at least the relationships in the film are perfect. Of merit is Teresa Wright?s outstanding performance as Carol, Vin's doomed fianc?e. Previously issued versions of this film were near perfect so it's really no surprise to discover that this DVD carries on in the same tradition. Quite simply: the picture is outstanding. Blacks are deep and solid. The gray scale is beautiful and well balanced. There is hardly a scratch or a bit of grit or grain to distract. The soundtrack is equally impressive in MONO but very, very nicely balanced. A bit of a disappointment comes from the fact that no one at Warner Brothers had the foresight to do a ?making of? featurette. All we get is a couple of short subjects and a stills gallery.
Movie Review: "This is the people's war, it is our war"...
Summary: 5 Stars
An unforgettable slice of wartime life in England, MRS MINIVER stars Greer Garson in the role she was born to play, one which earned her an Academy Award in 1942. The story opens in the last peaceful summer of 1939. We meet the lovely Kay Miniver as she frets over buying a particularly expensive but beautiful hat. It is a lovely, carefree scene which sets up the idyllic existence of Kay and her family in the close-knit village of Belham, a world which literally disappears when World War II breaks out. Kay, her husband Clem (Walter Pidgeon), eldest son Vin (Richard Ney) and his beautiful young bride Carol (Teresa Wright) become the central characters in a saga which scales the highs and lows of life lived in the worst possible circumstances, but the Miniver clan muddle through with strength, will and self-respect.
There are many memorable scenes in the film: Kay reading `Alice in Wonderland' to the two younger children whilst in the bomb shelter; Clem leaving for the shores of Dunkirk on his rickety fishing boat; kindly station master Mr Ballard (Henry Travers) growing a rose in honour of Kay; and the amazing sequence where Kay herself confronts a downed Nazi fighter-pilot in her kitchen.
MRS MINIVER remains to this day a moving account of wartime life in England. It's purpose during the war was to boost morale, and that it did. Today, MRS MINIVER is still regarded with affection and love. May it always be.
Movie Review: A favorite classic
Summary: 5 Stars
Mrs. Miniver is one of my favorite classic films. It is a beautifully filmed movie with an excellent cast in Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Dame May Whitty, Theresa Wright and others. It is a story of Kay Miniver and her family and their attempts to keep life as sane and normal as one can while their country is at war and bombing raids are an almost every night happening.
It is as realistic as Hollywood was at the time in most films. Sure women didn't really go to bed in full make-up, nor did married couples sleep in twin beds, but if that is where your focus stays then you are missing what I think the movie is trying to tell you. That despite war, bombings, death and destruction, life goes on. We all try to keep moving forward every day and maintain some sense of what we percieve as normalacy in our lives. That is true during times of peace and war.
There is propoganda as in almost all of the war films of the era. But it is also a time when the stars of Hollywood were going off to war themselves. (Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, the director of this film-William Wyler and many others) Or traveling with the USO or selling war bonds. It only follows that the message would transfer to film. And I believe there was a bit of government encouragement to make these types of films as well.
If you enjoy a well made film that tells what I think is a really great story then try this one.
Movie Review: "Our enemy is no respecter of flower shows."
Summary: 5 Stars
As the story opens early in 1939, Mrs. Miniver (Greer Garson) is living a charmed life in a quaint English village. Her husband, Clem (Walter Pigeon), is a successful architect and she has three children she adores. When war is declared, her life is deeply affected: Her eldest son joins the Air Force, Clem is gone for days on boat patrol, and her village is subjected to enemy bombs.
Released in 1942, this movie was a big hit with its patriotic message and wholesome family values. While the Miniver family is somewhat idealized, they nevertheless feel the horror of wartime. It's rousing and sentimental without being overly preachy and won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Garson is beautiful, elegant, and likeable, and Pigeon is a good match as her husband. The supporting cast is lovely, especially Henry Travers as the rose-loving station master.
The DVD extras include two patriotic short films that were made during the war. This is an inspiring, sweet, and timeless story of the effects of war on the home-front. Highly recommended.
Movie Review: The Greatest Non War War Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my #2 favorite film of all time. William Wyler shows us why he is one of the greatest directors of all time. He has created one of the greatest war films by showing the affects of war on a small village in England.
Greer Garson shows why she was one of MGM's greatest stars. This was her Oscar winning film. And once again stars with her top co star, Walter Pidgeon. Greer and Walter, play the Minivers, a typical middle class family in rural England who must endure the side effects of the nearby war.
Teresa Wright plays their daughter in law who lives with them while her husband is off fighting the war in Europe.
Based on a series of unrealted essays by Jan Struther, this movie creates a series of vivid characters in the village. When the village is brought into the war by an air raid, you truely feel for those that die.
It is a true homage to the English people and the truimph of the human spirit.