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The Best Years of Our Lives

Movie
1946
2h 51m
NR
English
Drama, Romance, War
User Score: 
8
Critic Score: 
95
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The Best Years of Our Lives' Poster
It's the hope that sustains the spirit of every GI: the dream of the day when he will finally return home. For three WWII veterans, the day has arrived. But for each man, the dream is about to become a nightmare.
Play TrailerPlay Trailer
The Best Years of Our Lives Poster

The Best Years of Our Lives

NR
Movie
1946
2h 51m
English
Drama, Romance, War
Play TrailerPlay Trailer
Seen It:
All timeAll Time FavoriteLoved itLoved ItLiked itLiked ItJust OKJust O.K.Didnt LikeDidn't Really LikeHated itHated It
Haven't Seen It:
Want to seeI want to seeDont think soI don't think soI wouldnt like thisI wouldn't like this
WatchWatch on Hoopla
It's the hope that sustains the spirit of every GI: the dream of the day when he will finally return home. For three WWII veterans, the day has arrived. But for each man, the dream is about to become a nightmare.
Rating
WATCHMODE
8
IMDB
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) on IMDb
CRITIC SCORE
95

Where to watch

USA Streaming Sources
 
Prime Video
 
Peacock Premium
 
Kanopy
 
Hoopla
FREE
Peacock
FREE
Amazon Freevee
FREE
Plex
FREE
Pluto TV
Available in 2 other countries.
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Cast

Full Cast & Crew
Dana Andrews
Fred Derry
Fredric March
Al Stephenson
Harold Russell
Homer Parrish
Teresa Wright
Peggy Stephenson
Myrna Loy
Milly Stephenson
Cathy ODonnell
Wilma Cameron
Virginia Mayo
Marie Derry
Hoagy Carmichael
Butch Engle
Gladys George
Hortense Derry
Roman Bohnen
Pat Derry
Ray Collins
Mr. Milton
Minna Gombell
Mrs. Parrish
Walter Baldwin
Mr. Parrish
Steve Cochran
Cliff Scully
Dorothy Adams
Mrs. Cameron
Don Beddoe
Mr. Cameron
Marlene Aames
Luella Parrish
Charles Halton
Ray Teal
Mr. Mollett
Howland Chamberlain
Dean White
Erskine Sanford
Michael Hall
Rob Stephenson
Victor Cutler
Woody Merrill
Claire Du Brey
Mrs. Talburt - Perfume Customer (un...
Directed By: William Wyler
Written By: Robert E. Sherwood (Screenplay), MacKinlay Kantor (Novel)

Featured Comments/Tips

Nancy L Draper says...
6 years ago
A really good movie which garnered many well deserved awards, including Best Picture. The story is well written, telling of a difficult time in post-war America from the perspective of three returning servicemen reuniting with their families. The acting is wonderful. Harold Russell, who was from North Sydney, Nova Scotia, is the only person in history to have won 2 Oscars for the same role, as well as having the shortest film career for an Oscar recipient (3 movies). This classic is well worth finding and watching. I give it a 9 (superb) out of 10. [Post-War Drama]
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siggi963 says...
4 weeks ago
One of the first movies that tackles the problem faced by many war veterans returning home and encountering trouble reintegrating into society. PTSD before it became a household term.
Like  -  Dislike  -  Comment  -  000
JoeyvanAwesome says...
10 months ago
Nothing really happens in the almost 3 hours that this is long. It’s not boring per se, but there’s nothing memorable or special about this.
Like  -  Dislike  -  Comment  -  000
soonertbone says...
10 months ago
Beautiful (if a tad simple to modern sensibilities) exploration of post-war integration for returning soldiers. It's remarkable as a historical document, to see the attitudes of the time, but of course the struggle never ends so it retains its modern relevance. Part of me wishes Wyler had focused more on the women, as all four were often more interesting than the men (especially Loy and Wright, who are forever two of my favorite actresses of the era.) I appreciated Wyler's direction the most during a few layered sequences, where the deep focus cinematography really paid off. (A phone call gets made at one point while Home triumphantly plays the piano and it's devastating.)
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Featured User Reviews

bladefd
9/10  8 months ago
‘Best Years...’ is a classic post-WW2 drama that focuses on the social issues surrounding American soldiers returning home after being off to war for multiple years. When one thinks of that era, most think about the baby-boomer generation, the affluent futures to come, and the rise of the new Am More
Like  -  Dislike  -  Comment  -  000
CinemaSerf
2 years ago
This is really quite a touching story, recounting the experiences of three American veterans of WWII who return home and have to adapt to their new, not always welcoming, circumstances. Frederic March is "Al" who returns to a senior position in a bank - responsible for helping other returning soldie More
Like  -  Dislike  -  Comment  -  000
Andres Gomez
6 years ago
Another great Willy Wyler movie.

The story, with time, is quite expectable but the characters are well defined and developed by the cast.

Also, it is a good (and probably, too positive) review of the after WWII war lives of the US veterans.

A must to be seen.
Like  -  Dislike  -  Comment  -  000
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