Rating: 
Summary: EXCEPTIONAL WAR TIME MELODRAMA/BEAUTIFUL TRANSFER!
Review: "Mrs. Miniver" is one of those non-factual, war time propaganda tear jerkers that has proven itself to be enduring and immensely entertaining. Upon its release, Winston Churchill declared the film more influential in getting America involved in WWII than a fleet of destroyers. The plot concerns Mrs. Miniver (Greer Garson) the atypical English housewife quietly enduring the hardships of war and capturing a downed Nazi pilot in her begonias in the process. It sounds hoaky but actually the story is incredibly stirring. Walter Pigeon, Garson's frequent costar, is cast as her tender husband, Clem. Richard Ney plays her slightly opinionated son, Vin who rises to the occasion and becomes a flyer for the RAF. Aside: Ney and Garson were carrying on an affair during the filming that eventually resulted in a disastrous marriage and a quicky divorce. Oh well, at least the relationships in the film are perfect. Of merit is Teresa Wright's outstanding performance as Carol, Vin's doomed fiancée. Previously issued versions of this film were near perfect so it's really no surprise to discover that this DVD carries on in the same tradition. Quite simply: the picture is outstanding. Blacks are deep and solid. The gray scale is beautiful and well balanced. There is hardly a scratch or a bit of grit or grain to distract. The soundtrack is equally impressive in MONO but very, very nicely balanced. A bit of a disappointment comes from the fact that no one at Warner Brothers had the foresight to do a "making of" featurette. All we get is a couple of short subjects and a stills gallery.
Rating:
Summary: EXCEPTIONAL WAR TIME MELODRAMA/BEAUTIFUL TRANSFER!
Review: "Mrs. Miniver" is one of those non-factual, war time propaganda tear jerkers that is immensely entertaining to watch. Upon its release British P.M. Winston Churchill declared the film more influential in getting America involved in WWII than an fleet of destroyers. The plot concerns Mrs. Miniver (Greer Garson) the atypical English housewife quietly enduring the hardships of war and capturing a downed Nazi pilot in the process. It sounds hoaky but actually the story is incredibly moving. Walter Pigeon is Garson's tender husband, Clem. Richard Ney plays her son, Vin. Aside: Ney and Garson were carrying on a back stage affair during the filming that eventually resulted in a disastrous marriage and a quicky divorce. Oh well, at least the relationships in the film are perfect. Of merit: Teresa Wright is outstanding as Carol, Vin's tragically doomed fiancee.
TRANSFER: Previously issued versions of this film were near perfect so it's really no surprise to discover that this DVD carries on in the same tradition. Quite simply: the picture is outstanding. Blacks are deep and solid. The gray scale is beautiful and well balanced. There is hardly a scratch or a bit of grit or grain to distract. Overall, flawless. The soundtrack is equally impressive in MONO but very, very nicely balanced.
EXTRAS: A bit of a disappointment here: a couple of short subjects, a stills gallery and NO "making of" featurette.
BOTTOM LINE: This is masterfully told cinema at a time when Hollywood minted movies as though each were a vintage Rolls Royce. This one belongs in everyone's DVD library!
Rating: 
Summary: Dated, Still a Classic
Review: "Mrs. Miniver" is regarded as a classic WW2 homefront movie. In this case the setting is a comfortable prim and proper English town in the Summer of 1939. When WW2 breaks out, the "good and decent" townspeople must put aside their stuff class distinctions and pull together against the common enemy, Nazi Germany. The Battle of Britain, the retreat from Dunkirk and eponymous wartime romances/ heartbreak are aptly used as background. The female leads carry the picture. In fact Greer Garson and Teresa Wright won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress Oscars. Another cast member, Dame May Whitty was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress and male lead, Walter Pidgeon, was nominated for Best Actor. MM also won Best Movie honors and Director William Wyler also was given a statuette. MMs timing was fortuitous! Work began just before the attack Pearl Harbor and wrapped in the Spring of 1942 just as this country needed propaganda/soap operas supporting the Big One. One can appreciate the rush to Oscars but that too has its own story: Lost in all the awards was Ms. Garson's stunning role alongside Ronald Colman in "Random Harvest". Almost lost was Ms. Wright's work as Lou Gehrig's wife in "Pride of the Yankees" for which she and Gary Cooper were nominated for Oscars. MM has two main weak points: One is that the 133 minute run time is plainly too long. Some of those flower-growing contests should have been shortened. Other scenes unfold far too leisurely. The second weak point is that unlike other propaganda flicks (like "Casablanca"), MM has not aged gracefully. It now appears dowdy and dated. There are definite strong points: The small town setting is one. The little vignettes are outstanding such as when the maid Gladys learns her boyfriend's getting drafted! There is also the best-trained movie cat in history. (This review is passing over without comment those "famous" scenes of the captured German pilot and the minister's closing speech/sermon). In the last analysis, MM will always have those two strong Garson and Wright performances which render MM as worthwhile viewing even today. MM is recommended for serious movie viewers.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful movie. Illusions are as healing as truth.
Review: A must-see movie about courage, love, family, country. Is it reality? Not a bit. Is it true? Absolutely. Reality is that Greer Garson was having an affair with the actor who plays her son in the movie. Truth: hundreds and thousands of people did respond to the challenges of wartime with the grace and honor portrayed here. The movie is about how ordinary and good people, a middle-class English family, hold on to what's important in life even when danger and tragedy strikes. It's a pleasure to see the era's finest, handsomest actors demonstrating how we all hope we'd behave if we were tested by war. Imagine, a movie that lets us see the fun and intimacy of marriage, the passion of family, the patriotism that comes from an honest appreciation of a culture's advantages without pretending to hide for a minute from its faults. If this is a tear-jerker, it's because some things are worth tears. Oh Hollywood, if you would only give us less reality and more truth!
Rating:
Summary: How War Touches Families...
Review: All wars are ugly. World War II was a war that many people lost their homes, families and lifes. No one likes to see anyone lose their life for any reason, but war and children hit you in the heart. That is what this movie does. It is no doubt that it received "BEST PICTURE" in 1942 without question.
Rating:
Summary: "Mrs. Miniver", A WWII Collectible
Review: Beside Greer Garson being one of my all-time favorites, "Mrs. Miniver" is a film which is a MUST HAVE in the collection of anyone who enjoys WWII Movies. The movie offers a "back home" picture of life in war-torn England and how the non-soldier soldiers of England fought their wars on the home-front. It is a movie which should be archived for posterity and produced in DVD so that youngsters and oldsters, alike,can see that people, then and now, will always pay the necessary price to be free.
Rating:
Summary: "Mrs. Miniver", A WWII Collectible
Review: Beside Greer Garson being one of my all-time favorites, "Mrs. Miniver" is a film which is a MUST HAVE in the collection of anyone who enjoys WWII Movies. The movie offers a "back home" picture of life in war-torn England and how the non-soldier soldiers of England fought their wars on the home-front. It is a movie which should be archived for posterity and produced in DVD so that youngsters and oldsters, alike,can see that people, then and now, will always pay the necessary price to be free.
Rating:
Summary: Mrs Miniver.
Review: Come on you guys, this has to be one of the most heart rendering stories ever put on to celluloid. Now we have digital disc, and the ability to touch the world with devastating sound and picture quality....and what...sit on your fingers waiting for the studio....we want the movie on disc...so hurry up...PW.
Rating:
Summary: Mrs. Miniver
Review: Fantastic look at English life pre and during WWII
Rating:
Summary: the best movie ever
Review: garson, pidgeon are made for each other in this, as well as, the seven others they made together! it's sad the youngsters of today, don't have real stars to enjoy....this movie is a love story..it touches hearts...and the last scene is one never to forget.......garson and pidgeon should never be forgotten....may they always be a part of film history.
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