On M List of Movie Reviews

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Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Rate: 6
Viewed: 9/25

Miniver
9/25: "Average middle-class family"?

With a mansion, a huge patio, a maid, a fancy car (1936 Lagonda LG45, mind you), a son attending Oxford University, and elegant clothes in England? Yeah, suuuuure.

In Mrs. Miniver, Greer Garson looks too beautiful all the time, but doesn't she or anyone else realize there's a war going on? More than anything, they, save for Richard Ney, are detached, preferring to resume their privileged, sheltered lives, hence the propaganda. In fact, Joseph Goebbels was duly impressed by what he saw.

I can't believe everybody thought it was a good idea to hold the annual contest for best-looking flowers and have a ceremony to award prizes. This was done during WWII! When tragedy occurred at the end, I was like, "Yeah, no surprise." All Mrs. Miniver and Carol Beldon had to do was stop in the middle of the forest and wait out the attack. I admit the latter's death caught me off guard because I was expecting it to happen to Vin.

Of the cast, Walter Pidgeon sucks and doesn't belong in the film. He's obviously gay in real life, showing no chemistry with his leading lady. Richard Ney and Teresa Wright are better and more real, giving the film a purpose. If Greer Garson kissing Richard Ney seems strange for mother and son, then you're right. They even married each other after the film was theatrically released despite their 12-year age difference.

Greer Garson is okay but relies on perfect pose to get through all scenes despite her limited set of emotions. May Whitty plays an annoying character [memo to Hollywood: just stop with the "Dame" crap; it's so pretentious!]. Almost everybody including Henry Travers has been Oscar-nominated, but I'm surprised that Richard Ney wasn't. Only Greer Garson and Teresa Wright won.

All in all, Mrs. Miniver is a passable Best Picture winner.