Title: It's Not the Best, But It Still Works for Me
Review: David O. Selznick and director John Cromwell give epic treatment to this story of the war back on the home front. No one's really great in this one. Claudette Colbert and Shirley Temple hold their own and Monty Woolley is better than usual. However, you may cringe at Jennifer Jones's performance when she's usually so good. And the black-face lines they feed to Hattie McDaniel are embarrassing, though she manages to make her character into more than the script would seem to allow.But somehow it all holds together, taking us through a year in the life of an American family while Dad's away at war. The undertone of sacrifice and perseverance during hard times is compelling. And, by 1944, Hollywood had created such a rich mythology around the war that a movie only needed to make quiet references to people's fears and hopes in order to pull you in. It still works today.And, just as you might hope, our story winds up to its heartfelt climax on Christmas Eve.
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