Mrs. Miniver (1942)
The best years from the “Golden Age of Hollywood” came during the Second World War, with many titles focusing on the battles overseas. One of the most emotionally devastating films from this period is the terrific Mrs. Miniver. If The Best Years of Our Lives is the most renowned movie to look at American families reacting to life after war, then Mrs. Miniver was one of the most revered for its exploration of the beginning of this destructive period.
As the fighting intensified overseas, audiences could not help but respond to this touching exploration of a British family dealing with the arrival of War. Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon play Kay and Clem Miniver, trying to keep their family intact as outside forces came closer to knocking on their door. Mrs. Miniver brought the reality of the Blitz to audiences around the world, showing the dismal effects of war on those remaining at home as well.
The film was green-lit before the Americans joined the effort as a result of Pearl Harbor. By the time shooting was done in 1942, President Roosevelt was so moved by the drama, that he ordered the film to reach theatres sooner, hoping the stirring speech at the end would lead to an invigorated American war effort.