1. The Best Years of Our Lives
2. Shadow of a Doubt
3. The Pride of the Yankees
4. The Little Foxes
5. Mrs. Miniver
6. Pursued
7. The Men
8. Somewhere in Time
9. Enchantment
10. The Rainmaker
The Best Films of Teresa Wright
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Tag Archives: Teresa Wright
Review: The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Who in their right mind would make a film like this today? I mean it’s nearly three hours of incessant talking and character development. There are no explosions or special effects. There are not even any war scenes! And yet it is pure gold from William Wyler. He forces us to get to know these characters — all the details about them — and it is a pleasure.
In a year that boasted the likes of It’s a Wonderful Life, it is not simply a testament to the post-war sentiment, but also the power of this film, that led it to garner so much praise including a Best Picture Oscar.
Like Capra’s film, WWII plays a role here without actually focusing on the fighting. The effects of such a cataclysmic event were enough on their own. The Best Years of Our Lives chooses to focus on the point of view of three returning servicemen. However, it would be selling the film short to suggest that is all the film is about. It revolves around deeper issues such as family, camaraderie, patriotism, and of course romance. Over the course of the film each man must navigate his own path, and much of those pathways have to do with their romantic relationships.
Al (Fredric March) has been married 20 years and yet he returns to a home with a wife and kids who seem more foreign than the battlefronts he fought on. His loving wife Milly (Myrna Loy) patiently allows him to become acclimated and stands beside him as he stands up for his convictions at his bank.
Then there is Homer (Harold Russell), the double amputee, who is bracing for the worst as he returns to his family and the girl next door named Wilma. His way of dealing with the situation is to avoid those he loves because by not letting them get close he thinks that will allow them to move forward with their lives. However, Homer completely misjudges just how much his girl loves him. Wilma is the real deal, and she is prepared to remain faithful to Homer no matter the circumstances.
The final relationship is perhaps the most complicated of the lot. Fred Derry (Dana Andrews) is the complete antithesis of Al. He has little work experience, and he was a young man who only knew his wife for a handful of days before he went off to war. Now it is all coming back to bite him because Marie (Virginia Mayo) is not ready to patiently wait around while the former soda jerk tries to find a job. She wants money, nights on the town, and good times. Sparks fly and Fred finds himself drawn more and more to Al’s daughter Peggy (Teresa Wright) since his marriage is a loveless one. This relationship is perhaps the most agonizing to watch as Fred is torn apart, but he ultimately gets the girl who will accept him for who he is.
“The best years of our lives” may have been during the war for some, but that really does not matter, because with the right attitude humanity is able to move forward to make the best of the future. That is one of the merits of this film, it exudes hopefulness and despite their different lots, each character is able to find a little slice of joy.
No one personality outshines any of the others, but on the contrary, all the players add up to the perfect combination. I will shamelessly acknowledge that Teresa Wright is one of my favorite actresses and over the last few years I have come to really appreciate Dana Andrews. They really do deserve more credit and I hope this film continues to get the praise it deserves. It is a delectable slice of cinema and Americana.
5/5 Stars
The Men (1950)
I was really drawn into this film and I appreciated Zinnemann’s realistic style in capturing Marlon Brando’s powerful screen debut. I would have rated this film higher because the topic was interesting, the performances were good, the supporting cast was respectable, and so on. The only thing is although Brando is a good actor and I really love Teresa Wright, they just seem wrong opposite each other. Wright was made for a Best Years of Our Lives and Brando for Streetcar or On the Waterfront. I will say I was surprised to see a young Richard Erdman, who is known to modern audiences as Leonard in Community.
3.5/5 Stars
Shadow of a Doubt (1943) – Alfred Hitchcock
In one of Hitchcock’s earlier American films starring Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright, Uncle Charlie comes to visit his niece namesake “Charlie” and the rest of the family. Initially the whole family seems to be in a funk until they find Charlie (Cotten) is coming to visit them in Santa Rosa. However, what they do not know is that he is a wanted murderer. Over time “Charlie” (Wright) becomes suspicious of her uncle and finally comes across the truth. Her uncle figures out what she knows and decides he must get rid of her. Living in constant peril, “Charlie” finally is forced to face him. In the ensuing struggle she fights madly for her life. With the constant discomfort and suspense, Hitchcock proves how powerful thrillers can be even in the home. Cotten and Wright both do a very good job in this film. Supposedly this was Hitchcock’s favorite among his own films. I think it certainly one of the best of his lesser known movies.
5/5 Stars
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Directed by William Wyler, the film chronicles the lives of three men as they return from World War II. They feel joy and then angst trying to integrate back into society with lives that are strangely different from when they left. They face various struggles like finding a job, holding a marriage together, to just trying to get used to a disability. Although they each have their own lives which we get to see first hand, they are still intertwined. Together these three men find it within themselves to make these the best years possible. Full of both highs and lows, this movie is extremely touching and leaves you with a smile. The cast is superb including Dana Andrews, Fredric March, Harold Russell (real life amputee), Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, and of course Hoagy Carmichael. This film is great because it does not try to glamorize and it stands the test of time in my mind.
5/5 Stars
The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
Starring Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig and Teresa Wright as his wife, this movie honors Gehrig’s life after a tragic death from ALS. From the time he was a boy, Lou could play ball but his immigrant mother wants him to become an engineer. The quiet, young man goes to Columbia and plays some ball. There he is seen by the Yankees who agree to sign him. Despite her disapproval at first his mom becomes his biggest fan. With the Yankees Lou seems slightly out of place being an introvert. Pretty soon he meets Eleanor Twitchell (Wright) however and then gains a spot as the starting first baseman. The two of them fall in love and get married as Gehrig flourishes in the shadow of Babe Ruth. With his career still going strong, Gehrig becomes captain and plays 2,000 straight games. It cruelly comes to an end when he begins feeling weak and is diagnosed with ALS. His career is over and yet in his farewell speech Gehrig gratefully considers himself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. He walked out of the limelight and died soon after, dearly missed. This is one of those truly moving films.
“I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” You just cannot make up stuff like that. Here’s to you Lou!
4.5/5 Stars
Mrs. Miniver (1942)
Starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Teresa Wright, and directed by William Wyler, this film tells the touching if not sad story of an English family. We follow their life from the happy moments before World War II to the hardships in the midst of it. Through it all Mrs. Miniver is a quietly strong wife and mother who holds her family together. Whether she is waiting in a bomb shelter, capturing a German parachutist, or simply taking care of her family, she exhibits amazing courage and fortitude. She is a testament to those fighting on the home front Mrs. Miniver is not a part of Dunkirk like her husband. She is not flying like her son but her role is just as important. Even in the closing when tragedy has hit Britain, the country and its Mrs. Minivers stay resilient. First used as a propaganda device in the 1940s this film is till moving today. When you see any of these people rejoice or suffer you too are moved.
4/5 Stars
The Little Foxes (1941)
Starring a cast including Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, and Teresa Wright, the film opens in the South circa 1900 and it revolves around a greed woman and her two conniving brothers who hope to make millions off mills. Regina sends her innocent daughter Alexandra to bring her ill father home so the deal can be settled. He returns very worn down and he will not take part in the venture. It leaves his wife angry and her brothers dishonestly acquire the rest of the funds they need. Horace inadvertently finds out but he will not let Regina tell on them. However, Regina coldly looks on when the sick man needs her most and very soon after he passes away. Now she has her brothers where she wants them, allowing her greed to show through completely. She has gained so much and yet in the process she loses something so valuable in her daughter. The title comes from the book of Songs of Solomon and it perfectly describes these greedy people. I felt the main actors did a wonderful job in this film under the direction of the great William Wyler.
4.5/5 Stars
4 Star Films 