Overrated
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Howie0331 — 20 years ago(July 25, 2005 07:41 PM)
And I still think Greer Garson is a self-satisfied actress! The distinguished film critic, Pauline Kael, thought so too.
Pauline Kael was pretty self-satisfied herself, too, and a raging bitch to boot. Why do people take this old harpy's opinion as gospel? She was just a mean-spirited old wench who hated everybody!
Make Good Movies or Die!!! -
Tinsel — 20 years ago(October 29, 2005 06:05 PM)
The film may have been released in 1942, but it begins when war is declared in Britain in 1939 (before rationing began) and continues through Dunkirk which was in May and June of 1940. The rest of your points miss so completely the point of the film, they're scarcely worth refuting. So let's leave it with Winston Churchill, who said that Mrs. Miniver was more valuable to Britain than a fleet of destroyers. It's a fine film in its own right and even more interesting when considered in the context of the time in which it was made. Good enough for Churchill, good enough for me!
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WAIELLO — 20 years ago(September 24, 2005 09:20 PM)
I saw "Mrs Miniver" for the first time tonight. It's one of the few Academy Award winners I never saw.
Just like "It Happened One Night", I suppose at the time of its release it fit right in with the views, tastes and politics of the time. Seeing it today, in September 2005, I can't really find it relevant or exciting. I was not yet born in 1942, but if I had been, perhaps then I'd have seen it more favorably.
I also think a lot of it was propaganda to support the British war effort. The British have always had a powerful influence on the American media.
It kept me interested, for that I give it a good review. While watching, I tried putting myself into the time of its release. Europe was affected by the war more dangerously than America was, and I know the British are particularly fastidious about manners and class.
If "Mrs. Miniver" was released today it wouldn't be very popular or successful.
I will be honest, politics played a part in the decision to award it so heavily. I don't look at little errors, accents or minute details unless they have a significant effect on the story. But compared to other award winners, I didn't really find this one as exceptional. -
Recrem_Sirrah — 19 years ago(February 27, 2007 12:58 PM)
Furthermore, plot holes do not a bad movie make. ("Casablanca" is full of them.) Calling "Mrs. Miniver" a bad movie because it's historically inaccurate is like saying no science fiction movie based on a technology that could never exist can be entertaining.
"A critic is just a regular viewer withan overstocked memory and an underpowered social life." -
don-lockwood — 17 years ago(March 09, 2009 09:17 PM)
So she must've been acting a lot better than the cat.
Five years laterI agree with you, but then they don't give out Academy Awards for Best Animal Performance.
But Greer Garson was excellent, and unless you hate films that are at all didactic or dated, you'll enjoy this. -
eatonpl165 — 21 years ago(March 01, 2005 10:37 PM)
The accent thing is what bothered me the most. Why on earth wouldn't you cast Englishmen and Englishwomen in the lead roles (or at least people who can do a convincing British accent)? It just doesn't make sense. I still don't understand why Walter Pigeon was continually cast in UK roles when he blatently didn't even attempt at taking the accent. The other example is his role at the vicar in How Green is My Valley where he is supposed to be Welsh and sounds like he is from California. Why didn't the studios care about the huge problem with accents? Why didn't they try and make the film authentic?
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girl_1_0_1 — 21 years ago(March 03, 2005 12:52 PM)
They did cast an englishwoman as a lead. Greer Garson was from the UK. The little girl (Judy?) seemed to have an accent - in the 2 or 3 lines she had.
But yes, the rest of the cast could have worked on having a bit of an accent.
And for the orginal poster of this thread - this film was made mostly to get the Americans sympathetic and into the the war. LIke another poster said, the British studios probably weren't making many great films at this time - they were too busy fighting a war, so it was left up to Hollywood. Deal with the bad sets and look past the cat and the rationing and the petrol. -
wmoores — 20 years ago(October 22, 2005 04:08 PM)
Wasn't Green Garson English? I detect a slight accent.
Henry Travers? Isn't he English?
Dame Mae Whittey? Isn't she English.
The maidsall English.
The little boy's accent is almost unintelligable.
I suggest you go back and watch the movie again.
Mrs. Miniver is one of the greatest movies of all times and it did what it was supposed to do - arouse American sympathy for the war. -
wmoores — 20 years ago(November 18, 2005 01:26 PM)
Maybe I should have said British Isles.
But according to the biography, her family moved to London when she was a child so her accent doesn't really reflect Northern Ireland, it reflects a 'cultured' British accent.
Anyway you cut it, MRS. MINIVER belongs right along with SINCE YOU WENT AWAY as regards life on the home front. I am sorry SYWA didn't win more awards. To me, it is one of the greatest achievements in black and white media I have ever seen. But, we are talking about MM. Look at these and compare them to what are called 'movies' today. The best movies have already been made. Don't waste your time or money on anything since the SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. -
Liza-19 — 19 years ago(March 31, 2007 07:16 PM)
The accent thing is what bothered me the most. Why on earth wouldn't you cast Englishmen and Englishwomen in the lead roles (or at least people who can do a convincing British accent)? It just doesn't make sense. I still don't understand why Walter Pigeon was continually cast in UK roles when he blatently didn't even attempt at taking the accent. The other example is his role at the vicar in How Green is My Valley where he is supposed to be Welsh and sounds like he is from California. Why didn't the studios care about the huge problem with accents? Why didn't they try and make the film authentic?
I have to agree about the accents. I love Teresa Wright, I think she was one of our best actresses, but I always thought her accent sounded terrible in this! Personally, I prefer Walter Pidgeon's not even bothering with it rather than Teresa's trying too hard.
And I do think this film is somewhat overrated. I don't think Teresa should have won the Oscar for this one (she should have won for
Best Years of Our Lives
, but that's another story) - and I don't really think it was the best picture of the year. This was the same year as
Pride of the Yankees
and
The Magnificent Ambersons
. I don't think this movie is better than those. But it was the sentimental favorite at the time, I suppose.
I don't care about money. I just want to be wonderful. - Marilyn Monroe -
rebeljenn — 21 years ago(March 10, 2005 11:25 AM)
I am not sure of the other films that were released that same year (1942) or whether or not they would have been worthy of the Oscars or not, but, more importantly, I don't think any of us completely agree with the Oscars. Many good films have been missed out completely or over-rated.
I thought that this was a beautiful film. It is fiction but I think they did a good job making it and it made me feel that there was a war going on, based on the stories I have heard from people who did go through this time. (It was also made in the 40s so I don't agree with the inaccuracies here.) I think you're reading too much into it. It's just a film.- Jenn