This is a family film to say the least. The father is Claude Rains with two daughters, at 43 he realised his life had been a waste, whereupon he resigned and just let it go on as usual. His elder daughter is married, she has no children and wakes up every morning to have a noisy argument with her husband, the younger sister is Anne Shirley who works at her father's place where he meets John Garfield, a clerk with funny ideas of inventions on which he some day will make a fortune, he thinks. Although many setbacks, the family living together and struggling by the skin of their teeth, the war (1940) affecting badly their business with constant cuts, the main tone of the film is of incurable optimism. Whenever something bad happens, John Garfield takes it for an excuse to celebrate. The dialog is priceless, there are many golden moments, the story is a heart-warmer, and you seldom see John Garfield and Claude Rains in such idyllic and innocent roles, which makes the film something of a unique treat. You will simply have to love it.
Review of Saturday's Children
