Mrs. Miniver

William Wyler’s 1942 film Mrs. Miniver was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Greer Garson), Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress (Teresa Wright), and Best B&W Cinematography. With Garson alongside Walter Pidgeon, the film centers around A British housewife in rural England during the early months of World War II.

Mrs. Kay Miniver (Garson) and her family live at a house called Starlings in Belham just outside London. The house has a large garden that overlooks the River Thames. Mr. Clem Miniver (Pidgeon), a successful architect owns a motorboat. The two have three children: Toby, Judy and Vin (Christopher Severn, Clare Sandars, and Richard Ney) and a staff of Gladys the Housemaid (Brenda Forbes) and Ada the cook (Marie De Becker).

On the eve of World War II, Vin comes home from university and meets Carol Beldon (Wright), the grandaugther of Lady Beldon (Dame May Whitty). Despite disagreements, especially in Vin’s idealistic attitude to class differences, the two fall in love. Vin proposes to Carol but when the war comes clower to home, feels he must do his part and enlists in the Royal Air Force. He qualifies as a fighter pilot and is posted to a base near his parents’ home and is able to signal safe return from operations by cutting his engines briefly as he flies over the house. Clem also volunteers to take his motorboat to assist in the Dunkirk evacuation.

One morning, while Clem is still away, Kay is unable to sleep and wanders down to the private dock. She discovers a wounded German pilot (Helmut Dantine) hiding in her garden. He holds her at gunpoint and demands food and a coat while asserting that the Third Reich will mercilessly overcome its enemies. She feeds him, disarms him and calls the police. Soon after, Clem returns home.

Lady Beldon visits Kay to convince her to talk Vin out of marrying Carol due to her youth. She is unsuccessful when Kay reminds her that she was married young. Soon, Vin and Carol are married, and honeymoon in Scotland. Later, Kay and her family take refuge in their garden bomb shelter and keep their minds off the bombing while reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Clem calls it a lovely story as they barely survive a bomb landing and destroying parts of the house.

At the village flower show, Lady Beldon disregards the judges’ decision that her rose of the winner and announces that the local stationmaster, Mr. Ballard (Henry Travers) is the winner of the Mrs. Miniver rose, with her own taking second place. Air raid sirens sound and the villagers take refuge in the cellars of Beldon Hall. Kay and Carol drive Vin to join his squadron. On the way home, they witness a dogfight. For safety, Kay stops the car and they see a German plane crash. Carol is wounded from the plane’s fire and Kay takes her back to Starlings, where she dies in minutes. Kay is devastated and Vin is told when he returns from battle.

The film ends as the villagers assemble at the badly damaged church where the vicar (Henry Wilcoxon) delivers a sermon affirming their determination. Lady Beldon stands in her family’s church pew and Vin moves to stand alongside her. The congregation sings Onward, Christian Soldiers while RAF fighters are seen though the bombed church roof flying to face the enemy.

Where All Quiet on the Western Front exposes the harsh realities of war in the eyes of the fighting men, Mrs. Miniver shows it from the perspective of the civilians and families. The film gives an honest look at that perspective. There are painful moments and the characters are indeed afraid, but they exhibit outward bravery and strength for the well-being of their community.

The aforementioned would not have been possible had not the acting been so great. Garson and Wright put on amazing performances with simply their eyes. With Kay and Carol showing their outward bravery, their eyes truly showed that inside, they were unsure and frightened of what would lay ahead. Those two deserved the Oscars they received.

Sure, this is one in a series of WWII propaganda films. But apart from the end, it doesn't feel like it.

This most definitely won Best Picture due to its portrayal of a small community during the early war.

Final Call: An honest look at the home front’s perspective of the war with acting that drives it home.  I suppose it’s impossible to rank a film like this for enjoyment. It prompts the creation of an “Exceptions” list. And the more I think about it, All Quiet on the Western Front belongs there too.