Best Years of Our Lives, The (1946)

Three servicemen return from World War II and have unique difficulties adjusting back into civilian life. Technical Sergeant Al Stephenson (March), returns to his luxury apartment and loving family and yet struggles with alcohol and assimilation back into his former life and job at the bank. Captain Fred Derry (Andrews), comes home to his wife, Marie (Mayo), who has spent the majority of their marriage on her own working in night clubs and enjoying life. For Fred, his return is weighed down by his PTSD and no respect from anyone. Petty Officer Homer Parrish (Russell) comes home fearful of how he will be received by his family and sweetheart, Wilma (O’Donnell), due his loss of his hands. He has grown proficient with the hooks that now replace his hands. However, it is his pride that needs the most work during his recovery at home.

Returning From The War

The Best Years of Our Lives focused on a difficult and relatable issue in 1946, American military soldiers returning home from World War II. Not only were soldiers making a transition from a battlefield to civilian life. They were returning to a world that kept moving forward without them. In the US, this meant a landscape that was left mostly unscathed, unlike the war zones in Europe and the South Pacific.

Each soldier had a unique background, experience in the war, and home life they were returning too. The Best Years of Our Lives took that premise and followed three soldier’s as they made their transitions back into civil society and began to reconcile with the demon’s they brought back with them.

Al Stephenson

Al Stephenson, played by Fredric March, is a member of the elite class. He returns from the war with everything someone could hope for, a family, a stable job, the luxury to be able to relax and slowly reenter society. He enlisted into the Army and reached the rank of Technical Sergeant. Before he enlisted, he was an executive at a bank and that job was waiting for him when he returned. He was welcomed home by his wife and two kids in their luxury apartment.

Al struggles in his return, just like any one would after war. Yes, his circumstances allow him to be safe and secure at home. However, money doesn’t ease the fact that he was not around to watch his kids grow up or be there for his wife. At the same time, he is seeing his service, and other veterans around him, go unappreciated.

He also has a hard time expressing himself and letting those around him see him vulnerable. He vocalizes his fears that people will try to rehabilitate him, yet leans on the bottle to sooth his fears instead of working them out with his support system. It is not until he is able to express and stand up for himself that he gets any relief.

Fred Derry

Fred Derry, played by Dana Andrews, is much poorer than his comrade, Al. He returns to his small apartment and his wife, Marie (Mayo). A wife that he married just before going off to war. They are essentially newly weds, although the separation has caused them to grow in different ways and apart from one another. Fred is eager to begin to build a relationship and a family, whereas, Marie is ready to show off her Military husband and party. Their relationship quickly deteriorates as Fred discovers Marie’s materialistic nature and Marie realizes that Fred’s military salary checks are going to stop.

Similar to Al, Fred finds himself feeling undervalued for his efforts overseas. His humble disposition further exacerbates this issue. Fred is unable to articulate his strengths, and at the same time his voice falls on deaf ears. It is not until the end of the film that we understand his accomplishments and how modest he has been when describing his experience in the war.

Homer Parrish

Homer Parrish, played by Harold Russell, is the youngest of the group. He comes back home to greet his high school sweetheart and move back into his parent’s house. He survived the war and returned a young man with a bright future. Unfortunately, he lost both hands while in the service and now has prosthetic hooks. Everyone welcomes him, relatively, warmly. However, Homer has become his own worst enemy.

He is so afraid of how he will be received by his loved ones that he shuts himself off from them. Even when they act towards him in the ways he would wish, he is unable to allow himself to accept it. The character is undoubtedly enhanced by Homer’s performance. He brings an authenticity, both through his own accident as well as through his natural ability to be in front of the camera.

Excellent Screenplay

Robert E. Sherwood, a four-time Pulitzer prize winning author, penned the screenplay for The Best Years of Our Lives, that would ultimately win him an Academy Award. The story captures a snapshot of life in America after World War II. The characters’ struggles with assimilation back into society, the mixed emotions of those that stayed home, and the ever forward marching progress of time.

The Best Years of Our Lives is not a rah-rah America story. It walks a line that, must have, connected with viewers in a much more impactful way. There is no doubt that it is a film that tries to paint veterans as heroes, but it allows for the dissenting voices to speak as well. It shows the struggles that many faced when they came home and how their expectations were met with disappointment. The main messaging is clear throughout the film. Considering the long run time of almost 3 hours, it would seem reasonable to expect the story to get bland and predictable. However, it is difficult to disengage from the film.

It is not all gloom though, each principal character was able to find a way out of their initial decent into their new home life. All of their paths are unique and their method of escaping is unique as well. Sherwood masterfully casts a net with his characters and story lines that could reach a wide audience. His slow and methodical delivery of character development allowed for the characters to feel real.

Harold Russell

Harold Russell was World War II veteran of the United States Army and portrayed Homer in The Best Years of Our Lives. His portrayal of Homer was sincere, honest, and resulted in an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

His real life injury, while on duty, resulted in the loss of his hands and subsequent replacement with hooks. Once back in the States he attended Boston University. While at College he appeared in the short film, Diary of a Sergeant, a film about someone recovering from their war-related injuries and trying to go back to a normal life.

William Wyler saw him in Diary of a Sergeant and cast him in The Best Years of Our Lives. His portrayal of Homer is incredible, especially considering that he was not a trained actor. His ability to comfortably and skillfully portray the character speaks to his character and disposition.