History Film / TheBestYearsOfOurLives

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* {{Remake}}: The 1975 Creator/{{ABC}} MadeForTVMovie ''Returning Home'', which [[SettingUpdate updates]] the story for the post-[[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar Vietnam War]] era and stars Creator/TomSelleck as Fred, Creator/DabneyColeman as Al, and real-life Vietnam vet (and double amputee) James R. Miller as Homer.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: Our heroes come home to find the economy in recession, which might seem odd, since everyone tends to imagine the post-war years as being a time of great economic prosperity (the "baby boom" generation was a reference to both the giant uptick in births and the economic miracle that occurred at the same time). However, this is exactly what happened: the U.S. economy was in recession at the end of 1945, and in fact between the war's end and 1960 there were a total of ''six'' recessions. The post-war U.S. economy was not as stable as people tend to think.

* BreakfastInBed: Averted. Millie intends to serve Al breakfast in bed the morning after he's come home from war (and after his night on the town), but he's already up.

Just after the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, discharged American servicemen Al Stephenson (March), Fred Derry (Andrews), and Homer Parrish (Russell) return home to Boone City and their loved ones. Their adjustment to post-war life is met with varying levels of success. Al, a banker, finds it difficult to reconnect with his family and even more difficult to be as stern as he was before. Homer, who lost both hands in a fire, can't stand the pity that he detects from others, including his fiancee. Meanwhile, Fred is infuriated that the only job he can get is a soda jerk, and discovers that the woman he married before heading off to war wasn't worth it. Somehow, they are going to have to go on with their lives...