War is hell. William Tecumseh Sherman said it in 1880. But in Hollywood, war is adventurous, romantic, spectacular, dramatic, even a little fun once in a while. Okay, there are exceptions (see "All Quiet On the Western Front", among others). In those cases, war is bleak, gruesome, stressful, and restless.
And then there's "Mrs. Miniver".
This is a different kind of war movie, the earliest one of which I have seen (perhaps the first of its kind?). You see, this is not a war movie on the field of battle; this is about the trials of those on the home front. Very obviously topical when released in 1942, "Mrs. Miniver" still rings true in this day and age of terrorism and unstable alliances.
Greer Garson stars as Kay Miniver, whose chief concern at the top of the movie appears to be whether someone else beat her to the department store and bought the latest hat before she did. Her husband, Clem (Walter Pidgeon), is an architect who just bought a nicer car because he felt he deserved it. Their oldest son, Vin (Richard Ney), is full of idealistic rhetoric, thanks to his time spent at Oxford University. And then we have Toby and Judy, the two young Miniver children, fresh-faced, playful, and inquisitive.
Not much happens in Belham, the town in which they live. The most scandalous thing going on is that a local rail man named Mr. Ballard (Henry Travers) has entered a rose in the town's annual flower contest to compete against Lady Beldon (Dame May Witty), who has won uncontested for nearly 30 years. Oh, and Mr. Ballard's rose is named the "Mrs. Miniver".
Then, one Sunday morning (September 3, 1939, to be exact), England declares war on Germany. And suddenly, all those little things don't matter anymore.
"Mrs. Miniver" recounts the bravery of civilian life in war-torn England in the opening months of the Second World War. Watching this, I saw how Kay Miniver changed from vain housewife to a pillar of strength in her efforts to keep the home fires burning. But it wasn't just a day-to-day account of her life at home. She had to deal with air raids, strafing runs and, in one pivotal scene, getting up-close-and-personal with the enemy. Through all of this, life does continue in Belham, that is, when the Germans aren't around. With that, the flower contest goes on as scheduled, but I won't reveal which rose won (just in case you haven't seen this movie yet).
Okay, so why reveal these plot points? Just to illustrate how well-written this movie is. Granted, it does get preachy (literally) at the end, but the message is clear: War doesn't belong to the soldiers in the field, it belongs to everyone, and everyone must do their part.
As for the performances, I give my best nods to Henry Travers and to Greer Garson. Travers' portrayal of the affable Mr. Ballard is as charming as it is simple. As for Greer Garson's performance in the title role, well, I've always been a sucker for dynamic characters. Though a bit melodramatic at points, her strength at the end of the movie almost makes you forget how naïve she was at the beginning. As I made the comparison myself, I suddenly realized that all the material things we crave day-in and day-out aren't important. Sure, they may have some kind of meaning, or even a matter of significance, but in the end, they're just things. Perhaps that is a lesson we all need to learn once in a while.
And then there's "Mrs. Miniver".
This is a different kind of war movie, the earliest one of which I have seen (perhaps the first of its kind?). You see, this is not a war movie on the field of battle; this is about the trials of those on the home front. Very obviously topical when released in 1942, "Mrs. Miniver" still rings true in this day and age of terrorism and unstable alliances.
Greer Garson stars as Kay Miniver, whose chief concern at the top of the movie appears to be whether someone else beat her to the department store and bought the latest hat before she did. Her husband, Clem (Walter Pidgeon), is an architect who just bought a nicer car because he felt he deserved it. Their oldest son, Vin (Richard Ney), is full of idealistic rhetoric, thanks to his time spent at Oxford University. And then we have Toby and Judy, the two young Miniver children, fresh-faced, playful, and inquisitive.
Not much happens in Belham, the town in which they live. The most scandalous thing going on is that a local rail man named Mr. Ballard (Henry Travers) has entered a rose in the town's annual flower contest to compete against Lady Beldon (Dame May Witty), who has won uncontested for nearly 30 years. Oh, and Mr. Ballard's rose is named the "Mrs. Miniver".
Then, one Sunday morning (September 3, 1939, to be exact), England declares war on Germany. And suddenly, all those little things don't matter anymore.
"Mrs. Miniver" recounts the bravery of civilian life in war-torn England in the opening months of the Second World War. Watching this, I saw how Kay Miniver changed from vain housewife to a pillar of strength in her efforts to keep the home fires burning. But it wasn't just a day-to-day account of her life at home. She had to deal with air raids, strafing runs and, in one pivotal scene, getting up-close-and-personal with the enemy. Through all of this, life does continue in Belham, that is, when the Germans aren't around. With that, the flower contest goes on as scheduled, but I won't reveal which rose won (just in case you haven't seen this movie yet).
Okay, so why reveal these plot points? Just to illustrate how well-written this movie is. Granted, it does get preachy (literally) at the end, but the message is clear: War doesn't belong to the soldiers in the field, it belongs to everyone, and everyone must do their part.
As for the performances, I give my best nods to Henry Travers and to Greer Garson. Travers' portrayal of the affable Mr. Ballard is as charming as it is simple. As for Greer Garson's performance in the title role, well, I've always been a sucker for dynamic characters. Though a bit melodramatic at points, her strength at the end of the movie almost makes you forget how naïve she was at the beginning. As I made the comparison myself, I suddenly realized that all the material things we crave day-in and day-out aren't important. Sure, they may have some kind of meaning, or even a matter of significance, but in the end, they're just things. Perhaps that is a lesson we all need to learn once in a while.