Mrs. Miniver (1942) | |
Director(s) | William Wyler |
Producer(s) | Sidney Franklin |
Top Genres | Drama, Romance, War |
Top Topics | Book-Based, England, Romance (Drama) |
Featured Cast:
Mrs. Miniver Overview:
Mrs. Miniver (1942) was a Drama - Romance Film directed by William Wyler and produced by Sidney Franklin.
The film was based on the novel of the same name and also Newspaper Column, The Times written by Jan Struther published in 1939 (novel); 1937 (newspaper column).
SYNOPSIS
Garson in her Oscar-winning portrayal personified the British resolve against Nazi aggression. An immensely popular piece of wartime propaganda, Wyler's film follows Mrs. Miniver, her husband (Pidgeon), their children, and their small English town as the war comes closer to their lives. The family endures the departure of the father for the beaches at Dunkirk, the discovery of a wounded Nazi pilot, the death of the daughter-in-law in an air raid, and the entry of the son into the Royal Air Force. The scenes culminate in a morale-boosting final speech that President Franklin Roosevelt ordered printed and air-dropped over war-torn Europe. The romance of her eldest son coincides with the first bombs and the destruction of the village church, yet through all the strife upper lips remain stiff and even the smallest traditions are maintained. Adapted from the novel by Jan Struther.
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
.Mrs. Miniver was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2009.
Academy Awards 1942 --- Ceremony Number 15 (source: AMPAS)
Award | Recipient | Result |
Best Actor | Walter Pidgeon | Nominated |
Best Supporting Actor | Henry Travers | Nominated |
Best Actress | Greer Garson | Won |
Best Supporting Actress | Dame May Whitty | Nominated |
Best Supporting Actress | Teresa Wright | Won |
Best Cinematography | Joseph Ruttenberg | Won |
Best Director | William Wyler | Won |
Best Film Editing | Harold F. Kress | Nominated |
Best Picture | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | Won |
Best Writing | Arthur Wimperis, George Froeschel, James Hilton, Claudine West | Won |
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Quotes from
Mr. Ballard: And that's where you come in, ma'am.
Vicar: We, in this quiet corner of England, have suffered the loss of friends very dear to us - some close to this church: George West, choir boy; James Bellard, station master and bell ringer and a proud winner, only one hour before his death, of the Belding Cup for his beautiful Miniver rose; and our hearts go out in sympathy to the two families who share the cruel loss of a young girl who was married at this altar only two weeks ago. The homes of many of us have been destroyed, and the lives of young and old have been taken. There is scarcely a household that hasn't been struck to the heart. And why? Surely you must have asked yourself this question. Why in all conscience should these be the ones to suffer? Children, old people, a young girl at the height of her loveliness. Why these? Are these our soldiers? Are these our fighters? Why should they be sacrificed? I shall tell you why. Because this is not only a war of soldiers in uniform. It is a war of the people, of all the people, and it must be fought not only on the battlefield, but in the cities and in the villages, in the factories and on the farms, in the home, and in the heart of every man, woman, and child who loves freedom! Well, we have buried our dead, but we shall not forget them. Instead they will inspire us with an unbreakable determination to free ourselves and those who come after us from the tyranny and terror that threaten to strike us down. This is the people's war! It is our war! We are the fighters! Fight it then! Fight it with all that is in us, and may God defend the right.
Vicar: This is the People's War. It is our war. We are the fighters. Fight it then. Fight it with all that is in us and may God defend the Right.
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Facts about
Greer Garson married Richard Ney who played her son in the movie!
The Vicar's final rousing speech was printed in magazines like "Time" and "Look". President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ordered that it be broadcast on the Voice of America, and copies of it were dropped over Europe as propaganda. This speech has come to be known as The Wilcoxon Speech, in tribute to actor Henry Wilcoxon's stirring delivery of it.
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