When I was 14 or so, a neighbor of my grandmother, upon hearing me go on about something that was bothering me at school, said to me: “Quit complaining. These are the best years of your life.”
Well, my mother had died a year earlier, and in my bewilderment it sure didn’t feel like the best years of my life.
All of which now makes me think: When are the best years of our lives? Childhood? The teenage years? College? Newly married? Living with a growing family? Any time you have financial stability? Retirement?
The three returning serviceman in the monumental and beautiful film, “The Best Years of Our Lives,” are undoubtedly wondering the same thing. Now back from “the good war,” these veterans probably thought coming home would be a joyous experience. But all had difficulty adapting in various ways, whether it was in a new job, having trouble finding a job, or trying to find acceptance and peace with a disability. They surely assumed the best was yet to come, but each quickly realize that perhaps the war itself was actually their best years.
“The Best Years of Our Lives,” is an unflinching look at the aftermath of war and the struggle to find your way home. Extraordinarily profound, it is wonderfully photographed and filled with unforgettable moments and first-rate performances throughout. The disabled veteran played by Harold Russell (not an actor, but a real veteran) who lost his hands in the war would have stolen a lesser movie, and the scene with his fiancé when he finally feels comfortable enough to show her what he experiences each night just getting undressed for bed remains one of the most affecting moments ever captured on film. A seemingly small and insignificant moment carries the weight of the entire world and is ultimately life-changing.
This movie, like the ending of the World War II itself, is now nearly 65 years old. To some, it may feel dated, but its emotions are honest, timeless and deeply felt. The ending gives a small glimpse of hope, albeit a hardscrabble one. Are their best years finally ahead of them at last?
A powerful film with an even more powerful message.
Well, my mother had died a year earlier, and in my bewilderment it sure didn’t feel like the best years of my life.
All of which now makes me think: When are the best years of our lives? Childhood? The teenage years? College? Newly married? Living with a growing family? Any time you have financial stability? Retirement?
The three returning serviceman in the monumental and beautiful film, “The Best Years of Our Lives,” are undoubtedly wondering the same thing. Now back from “the good war,” these veterans probably thought coming home would be a joyous experience. But all had difficulty adapting in various ways, whether it was in a new job, having trouble finding a job, or trying to find acceptance and peace with a disability. They surely assumed the best was yet to come, but each quickly realize that perhaps the war itself was actually their best years.
“The Best Years of Our Lives,” is an unflinching look at the aftermath of war and the struggle to find your way home. Extraordinarily profound, it is wonderfully photographed and filled with unforgettable moments and first-rate performances throughout. The disabled veteran played by Harold Russell (not an actor, but a real veteran) who lost his hands in the war would have stolen a lesser movie, and the scene with his fiancé when he finally feels comfortable enough to show her what he experiences each night just getting undressed for bed remains one of the most affecting moments ever captured on film. A seemingly small and insignificant moment carries the weight of the entire world and is ultimately life-changing.
This movie, like the ending of the World War II itself, is now nearly 65 years old. To some, it may feel dated, but its emotions are honest, timeless and deeply felt. The ending gives a small glimpse of hope, albeit a hardscrabble one. Are their best years finally ahead of them at last?
A powerful film with an even more powerful message.
When are the best years of our lives? We can’t change the past. We can’t predict the future.
Believe it or not, maybe they are right now.
Strictly 100 – Number 2: “The Best Years of Our Lives”
Believe it or not, maybe they are right now.
Strictly 100 – Number 2: “The Best Years of Our Lives”
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