History Film / TheBestYearsOfOurLives

Just after the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, 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, however. 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...

-->'''Marie''': I gave up the best years of my life, and what have you done?

--> '''Fred''': Oh, Al. He's home in the swankiest apartment house in town. We'll never see ''him'' again. ''(Cue Al walking in)''

--> '''Fred''': Oh, Al. He's home in the swankiest apartment house in town. We'll never see him again. ''(Cue Al walking in)''

* 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 end of the war and 1960 there were a total of ''six'' recessions. The post-war U.S. economy was not as stable as people tend to think.

* 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 end of the war and 1960 there were a total of ''six'' recessions. The post-war U.S. economy was not as stable as people tend to think.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: Our heroes come home to find the economy in recession, which would seem odd since everyone remembers 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 between the end of the war and 1960 there were a total of six recessions. The post-war U.S. economy was not as stable as people tend to think.

Just after the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, servicemen Al Stephenson (March), Fred Derry (Andrews), and Homer Parrish (Russell) return home to Boone City and to 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 real job he can hold is a soda jerk, and discovers 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...

This movie is interesting (and this is probably the reason it was so well received) for being one of the first movies that showed war as it was, instead of romanticizing it like movies and books were prone to.

''The Best Years of Our Lives'' is a 1946 post-war drama film directed by Creator/WilliamWyler, starring Creator/FredricMarch, Creator/DanaAndrews, Creator/MyrnaLoy, Creator/TeresaWright, Virginia Mayo, and Harold Russell. Adapted from [=MacKinlay=] Kantor's blank-verse novella ''Glory for Me'', the film won seven UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s, including Best Picture of the Year.

Just after the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, servicemen Fred Derry (Andrews), Homer Parrish (Russell), and Al Stephenson (March) return home to Boone City and to 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 real job he can hold is a soda jerk, and discovers 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...

* RuleOfSymbolism: The rusted-out, seemingly useless old bomber corpses [[spoiler: are being refashioned into pre-fabricated housing, like the metaphorical swords (weapons of war) being beaten into plowshares (homes for new families). Not for nothing is this the place where Fred gets a new job.]]

* RuleOfSymbolism: The rusted-out, seemingly useless old bomber corpses [[spoiler: are being refashioned into pre-fabricated housing, like the metaphorical plowshares being beaten into swords. Not for nothing is this the place where Fred gets a new job.]]

* SleepingSingle: Averted, in a case of GettingCrapPastTheRadar. They couldn't show Frederic March and Myrna Loy in bed together, so when Al wakes up after his night of drunken carousing, he sees a second pillow next to his, with an impression of Milly's head.

* UnfamiliarCeiling: Millie and Peggy bring Fred home with Al after their night on the town, because Fred is as drunk as Al, and Peggy puts Fred in her room. When Fred wakes up the next morning, he not only doesn't know where he is, he also doesn't recognize Peggy at first.

* YourCheatingHeart: Both Fred and his wife are having flings as their marriage crumbles.

* BadDreams: Being a ShellShockedVeteran, Fred is consistently having bad dreams where he relives dramatic war scenes.

* CatapultNightmare: Fred does this when he has BadDreams of his fellow aviators dying in a bombing raid. As a bombardier, he had all too good of a view through the transparent nose of his B-17.

** Fred, a former B-17 bombardier, finds himself having BadDreams wherein he relives dramatic war scenes.

* SuperstitiousSailor: Homer; on the plane ride back home, he lights both Al and Fred's cigarettes, and then asks if they're superstitious (lighting three cigarettes with the same match was considered bad luck). When they both say no, Homer laughs and says, "Well, I am", and lights his own cigarette with a new match.

* AnArmAndALeg: Homer lost both hands in a fire when his aircraft carrier went down.[[note]]The actor had ''actually'' lost his hands in the war[/note]]

* AnArmAndALeg: Homer lost both hands in a fire when his aircraft carrier went down.

* BreakHerHeartToSaveHer: Although he harbors feelings for her, Fred calls Peggy to tell her that it's over, in order to put her out of harm's way.

''The Best Years of Our Lives'' is a 1946 post-war drama film directed by Creator/WilliamWyler, starring Creator/FredricMarch, Creator/DanaAndrews, Creator/MyrnaLoy, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, and Harold Russell. Adapted from [=MacKinlay=] Kantor's blank-verse novella ''Glory for Me'', the film won seven UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s, including Best Picture of the Year.

* SleepingSingle: Averted, in a case of GettingCrapPastTheRadar. They couldn't show Frederic March and Myrna Loy in bed together, so when Al wakes up after his night of drunken carousing, he sees a second pillow next to his, with an impression of Myrna Loy's head.

* WhamLine: Upon seeing Fred in his uniform again after goading him to put it back on, Marie casually tells him, "Now you look like yourself." Fred's face falls as he realizes she's only ever thought of him as a soldier rather than the man he wants to be.

* WhamLine: Upon seeing Fred in uniform again after goading him to put it back on, Marie casually tells him, "Now you look like yourself." Fred's face falls as he realizes she's only ever thought of him as a soldier rather than the man he wants to be.

* WhamLine: Upon seeing Fred in uniform again, Marie casually tells him "You look like yourself." Fred's face falls as he realizes she's only ever thought of him as a soldier rather than the man he wants to be.