| The Best Years of Our LivesReleased: November 21, 1946 Studio: RKO Genre: war/romance drama Box Office (numbers in millions): Domestic: 23.65 Worldwide: ? Adjusted for Inflation: Domestic: 539.60 Worldwide: 803.50 |
Directing: William Wyler Screenwriting: Robert E. Sherwood Starring: Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Harold Russell, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, Cathy O’Donnell Review:This was the kind of story “Hollywood typically avoided.” MSN In this “landmark, classic drama,” FS “Robert Sherwood’s script from MacKinlay Kantor’s book perfectly captured mood of postwar U.S.; still powerful today.” LM Three World War II veterans return home to their small town and “face a number of emotional conflicts, and try to put their lives back together,” VD “attempting readjustment to peacetime life and discovering that they have fallen behind.” FS The three servicemen “from different strata of society” AFI’98 are “an Army Sergeant (March) who turns to drinking, an Air Force major (Andrews) who is rejected by his wife (Mayo), and a seaman who has lost both arms (Russell) and agonizes over his relationship with his girlfriend (O’Donnell).” FS It “was the right film at the right time – mirroring the experiences of so many soldiers adjusting to a new life.” A07 In his first picture, “Harold Russell, a non-actor and war veteran who was an actual amputee,” FS was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. The Academy didn’t think he’d win, but wanted to give him an honorary Oscar for “bringing hope and courage to other veterans.” LM He ended up winning, which made him the only actor to win two Oscars for the same role. MSN Sources:
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Oscars:Wins: 7, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Fredric March), Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Harold Russell), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Musical Score, Best Film Editing. A Special Academy Award for Russell for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans through his appearance in the film. Nominations: 8, including Best Sound Mixing Other Lists/Honors:
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