…I post a little tip-of-the-hat mention of William Wyler’s The Best Years of Our Lives (‘46). Because it’s a truly great film, because the last half-hour delivers one home-run scene after another, and because it feels good to at least consider that one Millennial or Zoomer who’s never seen it…that one Philistine might give it a first-time looksee and become a serious fan.
I’m especially fond of a letter-reading scene between Pat Derry (Roman Bohnen) and Hortense (Gladys George). George owns this scene — it’s all about the emotions that she tries to suppress as she listens to her alcoholic husband read a letter of commendation about his son, Fred (Dana Andrews).
