Mrs Miniver may not be a "flawless" film(then again few films are), character development is somewhat sketchy- though you still care a great deal for the characters- and some of the accents don't convince with Teresa Wright trying too hard and Walter Pidgeon not seeming to attempt one. But when everything else and the film on the whole is as superb as it is they can be seen as trivial and can be easily be overlooked. Mrs Miniver mayn't connect for some by today's standards as much as the other Best Picture nominees that year(Yankee Doodle Dandy for instance still has a lot of appeal) but it's the most important one especially thematically and it certainly connected with me. It won 6 Oscars and was nominated for another 6, all richly deserved, though if more than one winner was allowed in a category May Witty deserved to win her Supporting Actress Oscar. It's a beautiful-looking film with some very hauntingly deliberate shots, and there is a very good soundtrack complete with a sensitive yet sweeping music score and a great use of period favourites. The special effects are great for their time and stand up well today too, while the sound effects have a harrowing effect, the explosions and such almost deafening, how turbulent this particular period was in history is believably done. Mrs Miniver also has a thoughtful script that has emotion and tension(often done subtly, like in the body language), and a story that has a message and theme that still resonates- if perhaps not as relevant- and despite it being a melodrama never feels overwrought. The whole film is genuinely powerful and touching and is helped by the remarkably nuanced pacing, just see what is done with the scene when the husband is seen off to war by his wife. William Wyler directed several great films, a lot of them as much as masterpieces or as close as, and his direction here is tight while alive to nuances. And the acting is one of the film's best assets, with the beautiful Greer Garson outstanding in perhaps a career-best performance, Teresa Wright luminous and like a bright light in a dire situation, May Witty does imperious brilliantly, Walter Pidgeon's understated performance is among his best and Henry Travers is really charming. All in all, Mrs Miniver may not be as such a flawless film but it is a superb one that was worthy of its Best Picture win and is much more than a propaganda piece. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox
Review of Mrs. Miniver
