1942 - Mrs. Miniver: "What goes into making a rose, ma'am, is breeding...and budding...and horse manure."

1942 Best Picture

Premiered June 4, 1942 in New York

Budget: $1.34 Million

Gross: N/A

After suffering through How Green Was My Valley, we were ready for an improvement. Mrs. Miniver delivered. It was fairly engaging and inspirational. It showed the affects of war on those in England as they endured having their sons go off to war, their evenings spent underground during the nightly air raids and the desire to have hope even when little hope existed. The Miniver family are the central characters in the film and the audience begins to root for them as they experience the peaks and valleys of life.

The Miniver family are the central characters in the film. The script was believable and engaging. The actors did a good job and the camera shots were well done.

Callie
Favorite: Many of the movies we've seen have tried to captured how war affect a single family. This is the first movie to do this in a moving and effective way.
Least Favorite: There were a few holes in the story - for example, all of the sudden Mr. Miniver was on the river patrol and there was no indication of him being pressed into duty.

Joel

Favorite: I like the youngest Miniver family member, Toby. He provided a lot of comic relief with his childish comments and questions.

Least Favorite: The movie was still in black and white. The technology existed to shoot in color and color would have added to the power of the movie.

1941 - How Green Was My Valley: "Tis a coward I am. But I will hold your coat"

1941 Best Picture Winner

Premiered October 28, 1941 in New York

Budget: $1.25 Million

Gross: $6 Million

I went into this movie excited because this film beat out Citizen Kane and Sergent York. I thought that it must be something special to beat out two excellent movies. I was wrong. How Green Was My Valley is an awful movie. The production values were about 5 years behind the standard that Gone With The Wind had set. The story was not that good either.

The story is a combination of A Christmas Story and Newsies. It is a story of innocence lost: the boy, Huw, coming of age and the town losing its innocence with the coal miners strike. The only good character in the movie is the preacher who stands up for truth in the face of adversity.

Callie

Favorite: There was some comic relief set by two men who were teaching Huw to box to protect himself.

Least Favorite: The spontaneous singing throughout the movie. From the beginning with Angharad singing poorly and throughout it did not enhance the film or the plot. 

Joel

Favorite: I like the fact that the preacher stands up for truth against the wicked members of his church. He believes so strongly in the truth that he leaves his job rather than be a part of the hypocrisy.

Least Favorite: The camera angels and special affects were years behind the pace that had been set by the previous two winners.