Critic Reviews

Best Years of Our Lives, The (1946) Rank 4 Reviews

Expert Review Summary

Movie critics combined give Best Years of Our Lives, The (1946) a score of 3.4144 out of 4

based on (36) reviews

Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating

Excellent

(17)

Very Good

(19)

Good

(0)

Fair

(0)

Poor

(0)

Reviews by Score:

Oscar Guy (Wesley Lovell)

A biting look at the devestation caused by war on returning soldiers. ...read the complete Best Years of Our Lives movie review at Oscar Guy (Wesley Lovell)

TV Guide's Movie Guide (--)

The best coming home movie ever made. ...read the complete Best Years of Our Lives movie review at TV Guide's Movie Guide (--)

Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)

One of the few films that deserved all the awards heaped on it from the Oscars. ...read the complete Best Years of Our Lives movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)

At-A-Glance Film Reviews

The Best Years of Our Lives was one of the most important and timely movies ever made back in 1946, when World War II was just ending. That it's just as meaningful and resonant today is a tribute to its greatness. The film is about soldiers returning ...read the complete Best Years of Our Lives movie review at At-A-Glance Film Reviews

Moviemom's review

Three men are returning home from service during WWII. Fred Derry (Dana Andrews), a bombardier, Al Stephenson (Frederic March), a middle- aged footsoldier, and Homer Parrish (Harold Russell), a sailor who has lost both hands, fly back to their home town ...read the complete Best Years of Our Lives movie review at Moviemom's review

New York Times (Bosley Crowther)

It is seldom that there comes a motion picture which can be wholly and enthusiastically endorsed not only as superlative entertainment but as food for quiet and humanizing thought. ...read the complete Best Years of Our Lives movie review at New York Times (Bosley Crowther)

Goatdog's Movies (Michael W. Phillips Jr.)

The Best Years of Our Lives is one of the greatest Hollywood films ever produced. It is, by turns, a hilarious, inspiring, sobering, and tear-jerking look at the difficulties that soldiers returning from World War II, as well as their waiting families, ...read the complete Best Years of Our Lives movie review at Goatdog's Movies (Michael W. Phillips Jr.)

TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide

The best coming home movie ever made. "I don't care if it doesn't make a nickel," Sam Goldwyn reportedly said of THE BEST YEARS, "I just want every man, woman, and child in America to see it." The colorful producer got the idea for the film after ...read the complete Best Years of Our Lives movie review at TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide

DVDBeaver

I can't recommend a film more. ...read the complete Best Years of Our Lives movie review at DVDBeaver

Three Movie Buffs (Patrick Nash)

The Best Years of Our Lives is a powerful and hypnotically nostalgic motion picture. ...read the complete Best Years of Our Lives movie review at Three Movie Buffs (Patrick Nash)

Matt's Movie Reviews (Matt Easterbrook)

The Best Years Of Our Lives is a wonderful character study, and touches on points of humankind's psychiatric makeup that are so obvious they are rarely discussed in cinematic form. ...read the complete Best Years of Our Lives movie review at Matt's Movie Reviews (Matt Easterbrook)

filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)

There are many war movies. However, after the Vietnam war, Hollywood believed that a new film genre was born with "Coming Home" (1978): the postwar movie. This genre deals with soldiers after they have returned from the war, and sometimes find that the ...read the complete Best Years of Our Lives movie review at filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)

Goatdog's Movies (Michael W. Phillips, Jr.)

The final star of the film is Gregg Toland's gorgeous deep-focus cinematography. When comparing his breakthrough work in Citizen Kane to this film, the differences are subtle but ...read the complete Best Years of Our Lives movie review at Goatdog's Movies (Michael W. Phillips, Jr.)

eFilmCritic.com (David Cornelius)

Wyler and Goldwyn have made a glorious 'intimate epic,' one worthy of every honor bestowed upon it. ...read the complete Best Years of Our Lives movie review at eFilmCritic.com (David Cornelius)

201 Words-or-Less Film Review

For anyone who saw the 2002 Oscars and wondered about the guy with mechanical hooks for hands in the 'movie industry people who died this year' slide show, he was Harold Russell, winner of Best Supporting Actor and an honorary Oscar for this movie in 1947 ...read the complete Best Years of Our Lives movie review at 201 Words-or-Less Film Review

Movie-Vault.com ("Le Apprenti")

The war is over. Army sergeant Al Stephenson (Fredric March), air force captain Fred Derry (Dana Andrews) and naval seaman Homer Parrish (double Oscar winner Harold Russell) are finally returning home to their families, which they hope have not changed ...read the complete Best Years of Our Lives movie review at Movie-Vault.com ("Le Apprenti")

The Movie Mom (Nell Minow)