History YMMV / TheBestYearsOfOurLives

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: While the film still has lots of artistic merit these days, it can be lost on modern audiences just how groundbreaking the subject matter was. Throughout the war, the general public had been bombarded by Frank Capra's ''Why We Fight'' films -- glamorizing the war as a heroic and patriotic endeavor. This film was made with the intent to tell the public about how the soldiers had to readjust to mundane life after coming home. Fred, for example, was a decorated Captain, but since he came from poverty, he can only manage a minimum-wage job at a department store. Likewise, Al can no longer relate to his children after they grew up while he was away. While seen as a good source of drama today, the topics the film tackles were something a 1940s audience had never seen before. ''Film/{{All Quiet on the Western Front|1930}}'' was really the only other notable project to really emphasise that WarIsHell up to that point -- which is why it is still relevant today.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: While the film still has lots of artistic merit these days, it can be lost on modern audiences just how groundbreaking the subject matter was. Throughout the war, the general public had been bombarded by Frank Capra's ''Why We Fight'' films -- glamorizing the war as a heroic and patriotic endeavor. This film was made with the intent to tell the public about how the soldiers had to readjust to mundane life after coming home. Fred, for example, was a decorated Captain, but since he came from poverty, he can only manage a minimum-wage job at a department store. Likewise, Al can no longer relate to his children after they grew up while he was away. While seen as a good source of drama today, the topics the film tackles were something a 1940s audience had never seen before. ''Film/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront'' was really the only other notable project to really emphasise that WarIsHell -- which is why it is still relevant today.

* AwardSnub: Dana Andrews and Teresa Wright, despite playing characters whose romance provides one of the central storylines in the film, were ignored at the Oscars.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: At the time, this was the first film to really show how [[ShellShockedVeteran badly the soldiers had it]] when they returned home. After ages of the familiar ''Why We Fight'' films stressing the BlackAndWhiteMorality of the war, this told audiences about the difficulties returning soldiers faced.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: At the time, this was the first film to really show how badly the soldiers had it when they returned home. After ages of the familiar ''Why We Fight'' films stressing the BlackAndWhiteMorality of the war, this told audiences about the difficulties returning soldiers faced.

** Al Stephenson never to a be with his kids as they grew up, and can't relate to them as much as he used to, and he ended up becoming an alcoholic.
** Homer's a special case since often switches between being a normal woobie and an IronWoobie. He lost both of his hands in the war and had to get adjusted to having a pair of hooks, plus he isolated himself from his family and girlfirend, since he doesn't have the self-confidence he needs to encounter his family or found out they'd react to his hooks. But more than anything, he wants to be treated like a normal person.

* JerkassWoobie: Luella was incredibly insensitive when she led the neighbourhood kids to spy on Homer's hooks, but you absolutely feel for the poor girl after Homer's outburst. She's clearly feeling horrible about what just happened.

* SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments: Just the veterans' complete loyalty and relation with each other.
** Fred saw a harsh customer calling the American's actions unnecessary and when he overheard the conversation with Homer and saw the customer getting into a fight with him, Fred was willing to lose his job to punch the customer, just so Homer wouldn't get hurt.
* Wilma's undying love for his boyfriend, Homer and her desperateness to get Homer to believe in her.
** Homer finally getting the courage to have a real conversation with Wilma and explain why he tried to avoid her.
** Wilma speech to Homer vowing to never leave Homer no matter what would happen.
** [[spoiler: The two of them getting married afterwards.]]
* Nearly all of Fred and Peggy's interactions
** Peggy coming to Fred's aid when he gets a war nightmare.
** When Peggy meets Marie and sees Fred's unhappy relationship with her, Peggy was willing to get Fred away from Marie and marry her instead. Yes it was the wrong thing to do, but she was looking out for Fred and wanted to make sure he had a happy relationship.

* SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments: Wilma's undying love for his boyfriend, Homer and her desperateness to get Homer to believe in her.

** Subverted with Fred and Marie's marriage. Fred insists she stop working even when they become too broke to go out any more. It's used to show Fred as an idiot and it's a hint that there are cracks in the marriage already.
* ValuesResonance: The story of soldiers having trouble readjusting to their lives before the war still holds up, especially as the world they left is now different and they have to try and find their place in it -- something that's not only still relevant today, it's even ''more'' relevant than it was at the time, with PTSD becoming a major topic in the news and in people's minds today as soldiers come home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
**On the other hand for people circa 1946 the issue of returning war vets usually hit a lot closer to home than for modern viewers.With almost all able bodied males having served during the war it was rare to have a family that didn't deal with this issue.So for folks in 1946 it mattered more due to the sheer numbers of individuals that served compared to later wars.

* TearJerker:
** The scene with Homer returning home, [[spoiler:where his own mother gasps in horror upon seeing his metal hooks. And Homer flashes a pained expression across his face...]]
** A real life example: The man who played Homer went bankrupt after this movie and ended up having to sell his Oscars.[[note]]The reason he sold the Oscar was because his wife needed surgery and they wouldn't have been able to afford it otherwise.[[/note]]
** Towards the end, as Fred finds himself in the bombers' graveyard, row upon row of rusting hulks no longer needed with the war over, symbolizing his own worthlessness as a war hero with nowhere else to go. When he crawls into one wreck to relive yet another flashback, you're crying for him. [[spoiler:Subverted when he's discovered by a guy overseeing that graveyard who's starting a project to break the hulks down into metal housing for the families of returning war vets. Fred finds out they're hiring.]]

* SugarWiki/FunnyMoments:
** Al getting drunk on his first night back home, going out with his wife and daughter. He ends up roleplaying that he's still overseas and Milly is another woman. She snarkily plays along.
--> "You didn't tell me you were married."
** After Homer leaves the bar, a waiter comes to the table to take the order. Al -- who is already standing up -- grabs the waiter by the hand and starts waltzing with him.
** Woody Merill sums it up nicely when Peggy asks what's wrong with Fred and Marie's marriage.
--> "Nothing, except one slight detail. They don't like each other."
** Peggy later (after Fred has broken it off with her) grumpily saying her career as a home wrecker is now over.

* AdaptationDisplacement: This was originally a novella, Glory for Me, by [=MacKinley=] Kintor.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: One guy in a diner tells Homer that the military basically duped him and cost him his hands. While one could hardly blame him for being upset, since the Nazis and Japanese might have done more damage, had he not been in the war, there is no debating that he still would have had his limbs intact.

** After Homer leaves the bar, a waiter comes to the table to take the order. Al - who is already standing up - grabs the waiter by the hand and starts waltzing with him.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: While the film still has lots of artistic merit these days, it can be lost on modern audiences just how groundbreaking the subject matter was. Throughout the war, the general public had been bombarded by Frank Capra's ''Why We Fight'' films - glamorizing the war as a heroic and patriotic endeavor. This film was made with the intent to tell the public about how the soldiers had to readjust to mundane life after coming home. Fred for example was a decorated Captain, but since he came from poverty he can only manage a minimum wage job at a department store. Likewise Al can no longer relate to his children after they grew up while he was away. While seen as a good source of drama today, the topics the film tackles were something a 1940s audience had never seen before. ''Film/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront'' was really the only other notable project to really emphasise that WarIsHell - which is why it is still relevant today.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: At the time this was the first film to really show how badly the soldiers had it when they returned home. After ages of the familiar ''Why We Fight'' films stressing the BlackAndWhiteMorality of the war, this told audiences about the difficulties returning soldiers faced.

** Towards the end, as Fred finds himself in the bombers' graveyard, row upon row of rusting hulks no longer needed with the war over, symbolizing his own worthlessness as a war hero with nowhere else to go. When he crawls into one wreck to relive yet another flashback, you're crying for him.[[spoiler: Subverted when he's discovered by a guy overseeing that graveyard who's starting a project to break the hulks down into metal housing for the families of returning war vets. Fred finds out they're hiring.]]
* UnintentionallySympathetic: It's hard not to feel sorry for Marie, given that she and Fred were a FourthDateMarriage and part of the reason she's so unhappy is because he's not letting her work. Yeah she's having affairs but she [[spoiler: eventually calls for a divorce and frees Fred up to get with Peggy]].

** To modern viewers it can seem pretty odd how little attention Al's obvious alcoholism gets.

* ValuesResonance: The story of soldiers having trouble readjusting to their lives before the war still holds up, especially as the world they left is now different and they have to try and find their place in it - something that's not only still relevant today, it's even ''more'' relevant than it was at the time, with PTSD becoming a major topic in the news and in people's minds today as soldiers come home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

* ValuesResonance: The story of soldiers having trouble readjusting to their lives before the war still holds up, especially as the world they left is now different and they have to try and find their place in it - something that's still relevant today.

* HoYay: Fred and Al end up drunkenly cuddling each other in the back of the car. Millie jokes "what a lovely couple they make."

* SignatureScene: Homer losing his temper with some kids trying to get a peek at his hooks, and breaking them through a window.

** A real life example: The man who played Homer went bankrupt after this movie and ended up having to sell his Oscars.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: One guy in a diner tells Homer that the military basically duped him and cost him his hands. While one could hardly blame him for being upset, since the Nazis and Japanese might have done more damage, had he not been in the war, there is no debating that he still would have had his limbs intact (to say nothing of the fact that the conflict with the Japanese was pretty much resolved with nukes and Hitler committed suicide, so U.S. troops might not have been needed).

* TearJerker: The scene with Homer returning home, [[spoiler:where his own mother gasps in horror upon seeing his metal hooks. And Homer flashes a pained expression across his face...]]

* ValuesDissonance: To modern viewers it can seem pretty odd how little attention Al's obvious alcoholism gets.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: One guy in a diner tells Homer that the military basically duped him and cost him his hands. While one could hardly blame him for being upset, since the Nazis and Japanese might have done more damage, had he not been in the war, there is no debating that he still would have had his limbs intact (to say nothing of the fact that the conflict with the Japanese was pretty much resolved with nukes and Hitler committed suicide, so U.S. troops might not have been needed).

* StrawmanHasAPoint: One guy in a diner tells Homer that the military basically duped him and cost him his hands. While one could hardly blame him for being upset, since the Nazis and Japanese might have done more damage, had he not been in the war, there is no debating that he still would have had his limbs intact (to say nothing of the fact that the conflict with the Japanese was pretty much resolved with nukes, so U.S. troops might not have been needed).

** A real life example: The man who played Homer went bankrupt after this movie and ended up having to sell his Oscars.