Mrs. Miniver

source: Mrs. Miniver

I loved the scene in the bomb shelter with Napoleon the cat but was disappointed at the personal growth of Vin who comes back from war with the fresh face and bright eagerness of a boy which made him appear extremely artificial.

I'm simply amazed at the popularity of this film when originally released. MGM and theaters made a bundle in profits, as it wasn't expensive to make. Today, it comes across as very dated and way too slow paced for most viewers. I almost fell asleep during the first half hour, which was the most boring. Obviously, the main point of the film was to give Americans a better idea of what civilian Brits went through during The Battle of Britain, and what they might again go through if the Germans came up with a better long range bomber It was only when that wounded German pilot was discovered in the Miniver's back yard, that things got mildly interesting for a while. Before this, the air raid warden showed up at their home and demanded that they extinguish all lights so the German night bombers would have difficulty locating targets. Later, the Minivers experience close bombing while hiding in their air raid shelter(a converted root cellar?). Meanwhile, a bomb destroyed much of their home. Strangely, they didn't seem terribly upset at this loss. Meanwhile, their son Vin, who had recently become an RAF pilot, wants to marry the 16 y.o. granddaughter(Carol) of a upper class acquaintance. After some hesitation, this is approved by the parents or guardian, who are afraid the marriage will be very brief, given the casualty rate among RAF pilots. But Carol says she would rather marry Vin now and have him die soon than wait until the war is over. Ironically, it is Carol who dies from German shrapnel while in a car with Mrs. Miniver. The special effects generally looked sorry. I couldn't believe that the fighters flying overhead at the end appeared to be vibrating like crazy! I can't believe this film won the '42 Oscar! I would have opted for either "Yankee Doodle Dandy" or "Holiday Inn" : 2 classic musical comedies. As a side note, 38y.o. Greer Garson, who played Mrs. Miniver, and 26y.o. Richard Ney, who played her son, got hitched the following year. It only lasted a few years.

There's no denying that this tub-thumping piece of jingoism is reasonably entertaining for what it is and that it's very well made, (you expect nothing less from Wyler), and pleasingly acted, (Garson and Wright won Oscars and Pidgeon, Whitty and Henry Travers were all nominated though it was really Whitty who should have won), but it's so patronisingly middle-class it is almost offensive. It's supposed to be about a 'typical' middle-class British family at the beginning of and during the early years of the Second World War but this is Hollywood's idea of England and the Minivers are about as close to real-life as the inhabitants of "Downton Abbey" or even Neverland, (the 'typical' Minivers are so middle-class they have their own servants), and at well over two hours all this sweetness and light, with a little sentimental tragedy thrown in, is enough to melt your teeth. Amazingly it won six Oscars including Best Picture, was a huge hit and is much loved by many though not by me.

With her peaceful English life suddenly thrown into turmoil by the Second World War, MRS. MINIVER continues to provide a solid rock of security for her family. Released seven months after America's entry into the War, this film did a great deal to inform the American people about Britain's defiance against Nazi Germany and the steadfast resolution of the British people in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds. Coming at a time of heightened emotions - as well as being expertly produced and extremely well acted - it is easy to see why the film earned 6 Oscars, including Best Picture & Best Director. Greer Garson is completely marvelous in the title role, (for which she won the Best Actress Oscar), presenting a portrait of grace & courage under fire which transcends mere acting. She is representing an entire island full of women who grew the crops & ran the factories and kept the nation operating while the men went to battle. Through her wonderful performance, Garson shows how those she symbolized more than did their part in the fight against the Axis. Two other ladies give outstanding performances in the film. As the local aristocrat, Dame May Whitty is properly imperious & proud, yet the viewer sees her character unbend over the course of the film to become much more vulnerable. Winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, lovely Teresa Wright is luminous as Dame May's granddaughter. Sweetly sensible, elegantly at ease, joyous during hardships, Miss Wright gives a performance not easy to forget. In solid, understated roles, both Walter Pidgeon as Mr. Miniver & Richard Ney as his elder son, supply good support to the ladies in the cast. Pidgeon gets to pilot one of the Little Boats to Dunkirk and Ney becomes a flyer with the RAF, but both are performed in an almost subdued manner, leaving the heroics to the women. A quintet of fine actors add small, deft brushstrokes to the movie's canvas: cherubic Henry Travers as the station-master who delights in the gentle art of breeding roses; blustery Reginald Owen as the local storekeeper who eagerly takes over as air raid warden; kindly Henry Wilcoxon as the village vicar; blunt Rhys Williams as the boyfriend of the Miniver's maid (comically played by Brenda Forbes); and Helmut Dantine as the pitiless German pilot who briefly invades the Miniver household. Six-year-old Christopher Severn will either delight or annoy as the Miniver's talkative infant son. Clare Sandars, as his slightly older sister, is left something of a cipher by the script. Movie mavens should recognize Ian Wolfe, uncredited as a boatman helping with the Dunkirk rescue. The scenes involving the brutal aerial bombardment are still vividly suspenseful, focusing primarily on the faces of the actors involved.

I'd give this turkey zero stars if I could, but a "1" will have to do. All the glowing reviews must be jokes. This vapid, poorly -acted propaganda film is so bad it's hilarious. Winner of 6 Academy Awards, you say? Nonsense. Those Awards weren't won - they were paid for fair and square. Garson's acting is zombie-like and the rest of the characters are equally dull: Her husband is a buffoon, her pilot son a swish, her younger son an irritating brat and her daughter unremarkable. Think the son is gong to buy it? Wrong! The brand-spanking new daughter-in- law does and her death scene is so predictable yet trite it made my eyes ache. And the church scene at the end - so much stiff upper lipiness it made me want to turn the thing off and brew some tea.

This film gets off to a REALLY slow start, so slow in fact that it may lose some viewers if it airs on television. However, it is worth staying with for Garson's performance as well as the rest of the ensemble cast, once the dramatic stakes are raised. The film really does show the impact of war on civilians more than other films of the day, and the long set-up starts to make sense later in the film when we really start pulling for this family. I do think that this is one of the more dated of the Best Picture Academy Award winners of the era. (This was right before Casablanca raised the bar significantly.) It is undoubtedly the best-known of the TEN Best Picture nominees from that year (aside from The Magnificent Ambersons), but one could argue it was a week year at the Oscars in general. The film for which I would have voted, Now Voyager, wasn't even nominated! Just goes to show you what the mentality was like in the early 1940s--propaganda over substance. The one good thing about this film winning Best Picture is that it increases the likelihood of Greer Garson being seen by movie buffs, and she deserves that. Fans of director William Wyler can obviously find better movies in his filmography. Grade for this film: B-

I've seen this film several times now, and despite knowing what occurs, the beauty never wears off. The film is aesthetically lovely, thanks to William Wyler's low key yet attentive and detailed style. The characters act naturally, something oft times missing in older films that lean to be more stylized. The acting is incredible in this film, and something many a modern film would do well to copy. Greer Garson is the portrait of strength, beauty, and dignity as Mrs. Miniver in a brilliantly played role. Yet it's the substance that stays with you. The film is telling a story about people and a time in history, and it's simple because it allows itself to be. It flows like real life, the trivial, the simple, the small moments, the enormous and life shattering. It taps into the real emotions people feel, and not big "war movie" emotions, but the joy of greeting a child upon return, of having a flower named after you and winning an award, of happiness and humor, of exhaustion, fear, pain, and grief. The film gently brings us into another life and lets us reside there. While there, we begin to love the Minivers and those that they love. At one point in the movie, the family is in a bomb shelter and Mr. and Mrs. Miniver are talking. Mr. Miniver picks up "Alice in Wonderland" and begins to recite a passage about the joys of childhood, a summer past, and the simple pleasures in life. Mrs. Miniver finishes the passage, and Mr. Miniver (Walter Pidgeon) mentions that he wonders if Lewis Carrol ever thought that his story would be so beloved decades later. I found that interesting, because after all these years and viewings, it's the characters and their realistic palpable experiences and emotions, the strength and courage they show, and the simplicity of the film in allowing us to see it plainly and feel it too, because it's a story of the human experience we can all relate with that isn't limited to the battleground, that do and will keep this movie everlasting, and an homage to the human spirit.

This is a very capable and competent film with a wonderful cast and direction. Greer Garson is absolutely captivating as the title character and it was probably her best film--so it's not surprising she received an Oscar for her performance. The movie also made many nice supporting performances and was just lovely to watch. The problem, though, is this little film was elevated to greatness by WWII and received an Oscar for Best Picture that it probably did not deserve, though I must admit that the 1943 award nominees weren't very distinguished compared to other years just before this. If the movie had been made either before of a few years after the war, it probably would never have received the Oscar for Best Picture. It probably won because of the times--it came out in 1942 (just after the USA joined the war) and it was a very effective piece of propaganda--and very good propaganda at that. So in essence, a vote for this picture was like a vote for the war effort. I assume that viewers in 1942 were captivated by the movie and based on sentiment at the time, it may have been the odds on favorite to win. It's just that taken from this context the film just doesn't hold up as well and seems, on occasion, a little heavy-handed. Still a decent film but a disappointment to many who will be expecting more.

"Mrs. Miniver" is an important film which captured the Best Picture Oscar in 1942. Greer Garson (Oscar-winning) is excellent as the titled character. The movie deals with what civilians have to go through while all the men are off fighting in the war. It takes place in war-stricken England and was made right when all of Europe was in chaos. All in all, "Mrs. Miniver" is a great film that is one of the best films produced in the 1940s. 4.5 out of 5 stars.