"I didn't think she was a kangaroo!"

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this film despite the lengthiness of it. I found Harold Russell (sailor Homer Parrish) and Myrna Loy (Al’s wife, Milly Stephenson) particularly compelling to watch. Why?

Because they are both very strong characters who were enjoyable to watch. Milly is a 'strong woman' and she does not even need to go through a phase being 'strengthened' by a series of bad events. She carries on exactly as she has been doing when Al was away and whilst she welcomes him back to their life together she does not back down from being open minded and from guiding her daughter.

She quietly lets her husband re adjust to their world and she openly expresses her own frustrations (at his dependancy on alcohol) but without letting go her faith in their marriage. She's strong in that she leaves her lover behind and moves on, entirely focussed on her life with Al.

Moreover, her character and the relationship between her and Al were entirely believable. They disagree over how many drinks he should have and there are awkward moments such as when she takes him breakfast in the morning (she indicates for him to sit down on the bed and he doesn't so she ends up just leaving it on the bed) …. but they work hard to be honest with each other and treat each other with respect. A moment which encapsulates this is when she replies to her daughter:

[after Peggy (her daughter) tells her parents that they never had any trouble in their relationship]

Milly: "We never had any trouble." How many times have I told you I hated you and believed it in my heart? How many times have you said you were sick and tired of me; that we were all washed up? How many times have we had to fall in love all over again?

Homer was not always necessarily strong (he refuses to accept help often) but his performance was nevertheless fascinating to watch because he characterized a mental battle which can either make or break you when dealing with coming home from war. Not only is his character dealing with that but he's unsure how to deal with the emotional effects of no longer having his hands. Away from home such sights (his metal claws) were much more common and accepted he could carry out his tasks with great efficiency but when faced with hugging his sweetheart on his return he's unprepared. He embodies this well by possessing a lively humour with his lines but also effectively performing the mix of frustration, pride and the desire to let Wilma, his girl, to not be held back even though he still loves her.

I found that The Best Years of Our Lives reached beyond its era – it gave me an insight into that period of time which I didn't expect and I enjoyed it's humorous script and simplicity in events.