The Best Years Of Our Lives Essay, Research Paper

Three servicemen return home from World War II and begin to piece their lives back together in this excellent adaptation of MacKinlay Kantor’s novel. Actual WWII vet Russell, who lost his hands in the war, won a special Oscar ‘for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans through his appearance.’ Academy Award Nominations: 8. Academy Awards: 7, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor–Fredric March, Best (Original) Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor–Harold Russell.

This seminal World War II film (which won the Best Picture Academy Award) chronicles the lives of three vets during America’s difficult adjustment back to peacetime. Viewing grand themes through an intimate prism, the film frankly confronts the difficulties that vets and those close to them encountered when worlds were once more turned upside down. Real-life vet Harold Russell (who lost his hands in the war) won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as a crippled soldier, while the excellent Fredric March garnered the Best Actor prize as a well-off family man trying to reacclimate to a sedentary life.

While the story would seem pure soap opera, under the Academy Award winning direction of William

Wyler THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES is anything but. The plot chronicles the very human

experiences of three servicemen returning from World War II, along with the obstacles that they faced

as they try to readjust to civilian life. Fredric March certainly deserved his Oscar for Best Actor for his

portrayal of a middle-aged family man returning home to his wife and children who have grown up and

grown older without him. March s performance is very real, filled with both heartbreak and humor,

making it utterly unforgettable. Not only did Harold Russell win an Academy Award for best supporting

actor; he also received a Special Award from the Academy for his inspirational performance as a

disabled war veteran. Russell s character lost his hands during the war, which makes his return to civilian

life especially challenging. He wants to be treated like everyone else, but the hooks that have replaced

his hands left him feeling isolated. Not wanting to be the object of pity, Russell s character further isolates

himself from the woman he loves. Dana Andrews portrays the third returning veteran who was a

bombardier and an officer in the Air Force. Andrews character s war experiences left him with no

practical skills and unprepared for the return to civilian life. Without his officer s paycheck, and unable to

get a good job, his marriage rapidly hits the skids. The cast of THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES also

features strong performances from Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo and Cathy O’Donnell.