The Best Years of Our Lives

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Winner of seven Academy Awards, including best picture, director, actor, and screenplay, William Wyler's brilliant drama about domestic life after World War II remains one of the all-time classics of American cinema. Inspired by a pictorial article about returning soldiers in Life magazine, the story focuses on three war veterans (Fredric March, Dana Andrews, and Harold Russell in unforgettable roles) and their rocky readjustment to civilian life in their Midwestern town of Boone City. Capturing the contradictory moods of America in the mid to late 1940s, this three-hour drama spans a complex range of honest emotions, from joyous celebration and happy reunion to deep-rooted ambivalence and reassessment of personal priorities. A movie milestone when released in 1946, The Best Years of Our Lives still packs a punch with powerful, timeless themes. --Jeff Shannon

Description

It's the hope that sustains the spirit of every GI: the dream of the day when he will finally return home. For three WWII veterans, the day has arrived. But for each man, the dream is about to becomea nightmare. Captain Fred Derry (Dana Andrews) is returning to a loveless marriage; Sergeant Al Stephenson (Fredric March) is a stranger to a family that's grown up without him; and young sailor Homer Parrish (Harold Russell) is tormented by the loss of his hands. Can these three men find the courage to rebuild their world? Or are the best years of their lives a thing of the past? Featuring a brilliant cast that includes Myrna Loy and Virginia Mayo, this postwar classic garnered* seven OscarsÂ(r), including Best Picture. Heart-wrenching, touching and "filled with emotional dynamite" (The Hollywood Reporter), it remains "one of the best films about war veterans ever made" (American Movie Classics). *1946: Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Writing/Screenplay, Film Editing, Music/Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture

Customer Reviews:

A tremendously moving WWII, which is still moving today..........2007-08-31

This is one of the greatest WWII films ever made, and it's a really moving, deeply human story about war and its aftermath. Despite it being made in 1946, the film still holds it power today. I remember being absolutely stunned by it, enthralled by all of its 3 hours. It also shows that not every American was in love with the idea of fighting in WWII, and that many men were permanently disabled, both physically and mentally, by the war. It also has a rather frank (especially for this country) and honest depiction of adultery (one of the main characters is married to a gold diggin' b****, and another woman desperately wants the man to break up with her so she can enjoy him). It also has one of the greatest wedding scenes in movie history, taking up nearly 30 minutes at the end of the film. It is filmed exactly as it would happen in real life, and Hoagy Carmichael (yes, that Hoagy) is playing the piano during the ceremony. The scene is incredibly moving, and there isn't one ounce of forced sentimentality. It's incredibly honest and deeply moving. All of the performers are wonderful, and William Wyler shows why he was one of Hollywood's greatest directors. A masterpiece from the old Hollywood masters.

These were the Best Years of Our Lives.......2007-06-09

What a great movie. The scenes between Fredick March, Myna Loy and Theresa Wright where Theresa told them that they alway had the perfect life and marriage and Myna looks at Fred and say "how many time have I told you that I hated you and meant it?" Then he looks at her and say "how many times did we have to fall in love all over again?" Its so gooood...Harold Russell great actors and deserves the TWO Oscars. Anyone that hasn't seen it really needs to check this one out..

Thoughtful, touching film.......2007-05-07

I love this movie. Though all the actors were excellent, Harold Russell is the reason to watch this movie. He deserved every ounce of his two - yes two - Oscars that he received for this role. He is amazing to watch. Though disabled, it was hard to consider him handicapped. I once used this film in my sunday school class. The lesson was on overcoming adversity and I showed the scene where Russell plays a piano duet with Hoagy Carmichael. The girls in my class were amazed. Then I shared with them some of the other things Russell had accomplished in his life - like being a founder of AMVETS. Russell's off screen story is a story in itself and should be made into a movie. Unfortunately, no actor could convincingly play him. That's the key to the impact he had on the screen - he wasn't an actor - he was a real, disabled person. Watch this movie - you'll be amazed too.

Classic Black & White War Movie.......2007-05-07

This was my father's all time favorite movie, which may be one reason I love it so much....then again, it's a damn good movie that still holds up! It is the story of three soldiers return to civilian life after World War II, with an outstanding cast and a great 40's style.

Shame on the Film Makers.......2007-04-08

I don't see how self-respecting African-Americans can watch this film without gritting their teeth. Black people are shuffled off to the sidelines with stereotypical, non-speaking parts: They lug baggage at the airport. They work behind the drugstore soda counter. They don't say anything, they don't go anywhere important, they don't even exist in the poor part of town where one of the featured white characters lives.

The movie is racist. It ignores what the Black experience was like for soldiers in WWII and for the folks at home who put up with the enduring racism.

And the flick got a zillion Oscars. Hollywood felt good about itself. Hooray. Figures.

Average customer rating:

Small Town
Nobody has mentioned the music!
Needs to be Updated
the same two reviews have been submitted for all three versions
American Theatre Classic goes Hollywood

Our Town
Starring: William Holden , Martha Scott , Fay Bainter , Beulah Bondi , and Thomas Mitchell
Director: Sam Wood
Manufacturer: Focusfilm
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ASIN: B0000D9PFA
Release Date: 2003-11-18

Customer Reviews:

Small Town.......2007-09-12

For anyone out there that loves nostalgia, then this is for you.
The depictions of small town Canada/America couldn't be better. I had
seen this movie many years ago and had waited, in vain, for a rerun
on TV that I could tape. Thank goodness for Amazon. Whenever I feel
the need to re live those wonderful bygone times, I now have the means.
I highly recommend it.

Nobody has mentioned the music!.......2007-08-23

I first saw the film version of "Our Town" on television when I was a child. Something about it appealed to me; perhaps a desire to return to an idealized time. In high school, I read the play and was devistated by Emily's death, which was changed in the film, giving it a happy ending. Throughout the years and varias versions that I've seen , I have never been able to figure out what it exactly is , that the dead people were preparing FOR in the cemetary. But, my reason for writing this is because of the one thing that is never mentioned in any of these reviews : the beautiful musical score by Aaron Copeland. I'm am over 50 years old and just listening to Mr. Copeland's score starts my tears flowing. It is truely exquisite! I count myself lucky to have had the oppertunity of meeting him briefly in 1972, and meeting Martha Scott app. 10 years later.

Needs to be Updated.......2006-12-04

Boring. Stilted. Smug. Unfaithful to the source material. Desperately needs to be updated for modern values. Otherwise Our Town (play & movie) will be seen as quaint museum pieces showcasing early 20th century small town provincialism. Then again, the whole point of Wilder's play was to portray small town people in a warts and all manner. Purhaps the dialogue and setting could be updated to show the lives and mindsets of today's flyover state sheeple.

the same two reviews have been submitted for all three versions.......2006-07-24

the play is good, and the movie too as I remeber, but if there is something wrong with the dvd transfer it would be nice to know which version actually has the problem.

American Theatre Classic goes Hollywood.......2006-01-20

Our Town was adapted from Thorton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize winning play. It has three acts, each about a different aspect of life in Grovers Corner, New Hampshire as seen through the life of two neighbors, the Gibbs and the Webbs. On stage, there were virtually no sets. The film had full sets. The one truly theatrical feature the film retained was Stage Manager, who narrates the film. The film version featured some early performances from future Oscar winners.

The first act is A Day in the Life (June 7, 1901). We get to see a day in the life of the two families. The Gibbs are Julia (Fay Bainter), Dr. Frank (Thomas Mitchell), George (William Holden) and Rebecca. The Webbs are Myrtle (Beulah Bondi), Editor Charles (Guy Kibbee), Emily (Martha Scott) and Wally. This is the ordinary life of ordinary families. George and Emily are the same age and they have a crush on each other but they are too shy to express it. Most of the act revolves around this.

The second act is Love and Marriage (three years later). George and Emily are about to be married and each has their own pre-wedding jitters. But before the wedding we see a flashback on the day that George and Emily finally admitted their feelings for each other.

The third act is Death (nine years later). Emily has complications with child birth and dies. The souls of those who passed converse. Emily finds out that she go back and relive a day. Which makes her realize how much we take for granted. The one change that the film makes is here. In the film, Emily does not actually die but comes back to life to be with George and the baby.

This change in the ending actually lessens the film. But what is even worse is the cinematography. In the cemetery scene, Emily's head is often out of frame. And as she about half the lines, its very disconcerting. This framing error happens often throughout the film. Also the contrast of black, white and grey is often murky. You might say that it is the transfer for the DVD but I also have a copy of the film from Turner Classics and it is as murky and poorly framed. Therefore, it was probably the original print.

This is a wonderful play and it's interesting to see a very young William Holden. The best filmed version of this was the NBC production in 1978 with Sada Thompson and Barbara Bel Geddes but this is not available. So if you want Our Town, it's either this one or the Showtime production with Paul Newman.

DVD EXTRAS: None

Thornton Wilder's Our Town: Two Historic Productions

Average customer rating:

Goodbye Clocks Ticking
1 Great Play, 2 Wonderful Interpretations

Thornton Wilder's Our Town: Two Historic Productions
Starring: Our Town (1977)/Our Town (1989)
Manufacturer: Mastervision
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ASIN: B000BF0DII
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Customer Reviews:

Goodbye Clocks Ticking.......2007-05-20

Two discs, each with a version of Thornton Wilder's play "Our Town" (originally produced on stage in 1938). There are no extras on the discs, just chapter menu. The packaging tells the story of Wilder's attempt before his death in 1975 to leave behind a definitive version after the film version of 1940 made Emily Webb wake up from a bad dream during childbirth...defeating the purpose of the entire script and giving the ultimate hollywood happy ending.

I saw the televison broadcast of 1977 and always remembered it, in my High School theater passion, as the best television production of any play I'd ever seen. I was familar with the play from English Class but had never seen it brought to life. I had the unfortunate task of returning to theater class to say I thought Robbie Benson was terrific after all. I was always worried throughout the years that it wouldn't hold up if the miracle ever occured that I should be able to see it again.
Well, my friends, it holds up in a grand way! It still makes me whispy and joyful and speaks from the heart while it shoots from the hip. This production walks the line between sentimentality and pure golden innocence with the finest of lines. Thornton's text is delivered with quiet passion and gentle importance. Hal Holbrook as the stage manager is inspired. Glynnis O'Connor captures Emily with the sweetest glee and Robby Benson nails it... the production is right on the money and the team of George Schaefer as director and Saul Jaffe as producer really created an exceptional reality.
The 1988-89 production, directed by Gregory Mosher at the Lincoln Center, goes nowhere near the sentimental line. In fact, much of the warmth is purposefully pulled out creating a dry and quick paced excercise. Don't get me wrong...it's a terrific experience, as it seems to replace the heart of script with the brains of the piece. Mosher has these folks busting though their lines so fast that this production is 15 minutes shorter than the 1977 companion. There is no bigger fan of Spalding Gray than myself. His signature delivery embraces the New English regional syntax while it pulls away from swimming in the blood of the piece. He's taking the pulse of the script, not riding the wave of emotion. Eric Stoltz gives a "city boy's" view of the role. Penelope Ann Miller has some powerful moments...despite a bit of shouting. Frances Conroy is ethereal.

Each of these productions bring out different attributes of the amazing script. They show how deep and rich the script is and why it's the most produced play in America.

If you enjoy this play, you might want to check out the work of Horton Foote (some of which is available on DVD; "Courtship", "On "Valentine's Day" and "1918"
Courtship,1918,On Valentine's Day

1 Great Play, 2 Wonderful Interpretations.......2006-08-22

The text of this great play, opens no curtain, no scenery. Despite these revolutionary concepts, after writing Our Town, Thornton Wilder for the stage, he hoped there would eventually be a "definitive performance" for tv viewers to enjoy. In other words, he hated the 1940 box office movie with William Holden. In 1977 he worked along with a team of actors including Hal Holbrook, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox, Sada Thompson, Barbara Bel Geddes, and (fresh from Ode To Billy Joe) Robby Benson and Glynnis O'Connor. Although shot in a tv studio, they bent the rules slightly and added a touch of scenery, but it was so slight that it became the Grover's Corners New Hampshire that Wilder imagined. The performance was so good it was nominated for (and just might have won) an Emmy. Wilder died soon after happily, his definitive version made. His estate willed that another version for tv should not be made. Then in 1989, the late lamented Spaulding Grey headed another cast that did their best to remain completely faithful to the play as written. This Broadway performance was nominated for a Tony. A special performance was made for the executors of Wilder's estate who enjoyed it as much as the forementioned 1977 performance, that they allowed in PBS to tape it for their "Great Performances" series. Since then, both of these showings have been hard to find on video. Now you can get them both in this nice (though pricey) 2 disc set. But trust me, it's worth the bucks. If you really need to "save money", order it from a "Marketplace Client", but buy it anyway. You will not regret it. Then for another very good showing, buy the 2003 PBS/Showtime presentation (on the PBS label) with Paul Newman, etc.

Average customer rating:

Cameron Watson's hometown movie about Shelbyville, Tenneessee in 1978
"Our Very Own' is the new "American Graffiti"

Our Very Own
Starring: Allison Janney , Keith Carradine , Cheryl Hines , Beth Grant , and Jason Ritter
Director: Cameron Watson
Manufacturer: Miramax
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ASIN: B000OZ2COS
Release Date: 2007-07-03

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A collective coming of age story set in the small town of Shelbyville in the late 1970's, Our Very Own is a story about five teenagers bored with small town life who are struggling to find direction and purpose in their lives. The family lives of each of the five teens are very different, with the teens forced to deal with everything from an unemployed alcoholic father, to taunts of being gay and parents who constantly demean them. When local girl Sondra Locke, who's made it big in Hollywood, is rumored to be returning for a movie premiere that coincides with the town horse show, the five teens are inspired collaborate on a tribute to Sondra for the town variety show. Their original work aptly showcases their individual and collective talents and the five teens begin to really believe in themselves. In the end, the teens must hold fast to their dreams while continuing to struggle to find their individual paths toward maturity and adulthood. Featuring a cast of up-and-coming young actors including Jason Ritter, Hilarie Burton, and Autumn Reeser and favorites like Emmy Award winner Allison Janney, Keith Carradine, and Cheryl Hines, the acting is powerful and the story believable. Winner of the 2005 grand prize at the Bluegrass Independent Film Festival and the special jury prize at the Rome International Film Festival.--Tami Horiuchi

Description

Hot, up-and-coming teen stars Jason Ritter, Hilarie Burton and Autumn Reeser and four-time Emmy® Award winner Allison Janney head the cast of Our Very Own, the engaging coming-of-age story about believing in your dreams. Itching to leave small-town life in Shelbyville, Tennessee, five friends are sent into a frenzy when they learn hometown-girl-turned-Hollywood-star Sondra Locke may be returning. Believing she's their ticket out, they do everything they can to make it happen. 2005 winner of the Bluegrass Independent Film Festival Grand Prize for Best Feature Film and the Rome International Film Festival's Special Jury Prize, Our Very Own is a heartwarming, hope-filled story about the power of friendship, family and believing in yourself.

Customer Reviews:

Cameron Watson's hometown movie about Shelbyville, Tenneessee in 1978.......2007-07-08

I can see where "American Graffiti" is an obvious point of cinematic reference for "Our Very Own," but while this 2005 film has the charm and sense of nostalgia that defined George Lucas's film, it does not have the same feeling of weight. But that is going to happen when one film has a character who will end up being reported MIA in Vietnam and the other has a character who is hoping to see the actress Sondra Locke. Still, first time writer-director-producer Cameron Watson, an actor who might be most recognizable for his role of Rick in the 2-part "The Other Side of Life" on "Grey's Anatomy" last season, has put together a nice little film about Shelbyville, Tennessee, where he went to high school. Watson was born in Lexington, Kentucky, but Sondra Locke was born and raised in Shelbyville (valedictorian of the class of 1962), which explains why the whole town gets excited

Sondra Locke was pretty much at the peak of her career back in 1978, which explains why everybody is excited about her new movie that year, "Every Which Way but Loose" came out. The previous two years Locke had starred in "The Gauntlet" and "The Outlaw Josey Wales," so on the one hand you have to wonder why nobody is wondering if Clint Eastwood is going to show up, but on the other if you know how their 12-year romance ended you can understand why his name would be taboo in this film. But all that matters is that as far as Shelbyville is concerned they are all excited that their very own favorite daughter is coming home to kick off the annual walking horse competition for which the city is best known.

Ostensibly this film focuses on a group of young friends trying to figure out the rest of their lives. Melora Kendall (Autumn Reeser) is the one who is giddy with the thought of meeting Locke, while Bobbie Chester (Hilarie Burton) just wants to borrow the car from her momma (Beth Grant) and check out the nightlife in Nashville. The two girls hang out with a trio of guys. Glen (Michael McKee) is not quite out of the closet, Ray (Derek Carter) who does not have much to say, and Clancy Whitfield (Jason Ritter), whose family life is about to implode. His father Billy (Keith Carradine) has been drinking more and more since he lost his job and now his mother Joan (Allison Janney) is finding her dinning room furniture is being repossessed and is worried about losing the family home. So while the kids are in the forefront of this movie, is what it happening with Clancy's family that our attention gravitates towards, especially given Janney's performance.

Much is made by the fact that Watson got Mary Badham (Scout in "To Kill a Mockingbird") to do her first film in almost 40 years to play Mrs. Nutbush, but the more impressive testament to this film is that his script got Janney to play Clancy's mother. Janney is 6 feet tall, but Carradine is an inch taller and that matters in this film as Billy makes his wife look small. Joan knows that the train wreck her life is fast becoming will be grist for the town's gossip mill and she is trying to retain her dignity. At least Joan's best friend, Sally Crowder (Cheryl Hines) is a true friend and can help lessen the indignities that Billy is heaping on her. Playing C.J. Cregg on "The West Wing" earned Janney four Emmy Awards, but she has had trouble finding movie roles worthy of her talents ("American Beauty" being the exception proving the rule in this case). Joan Whitfield is a supporting role in the film in the dynamic of this film, but you are drawn to Janney in virtually every scene in which she appears.

The time frame of this movie precludes much happening in terms of resolution to the Whitfield family problems, let alone Clancy's budding romance with Melora, Melora's quest to become an actress, or most of the other pressing concerns of these young folks that week in Shelbyville. But if Bobbie can just get Ricky Pranger (John Will Clay) out of her hair, that would put these kids ahead of the game. "Our Very Own" is a small film that celebrates small moments, and the key moments in this film are the simplest of beginnings. Beyond Janney's performance, the most impressive thing about this film is how the people of Shelbyville supported what Watson was doing. You look at the end credits of this film and you have to wonder if there actually are any businesses in town that do not get mentioned. This is not a product of Hollywood; it is a hometown movie if every I have seen one.

"Our Very Own' is the new "American Graffiti".......2007-04-09

REVIEW: "Our Very Own' is the new "American Graffiti"
Monday, August 15, 2005
By Brian Mosely

Cameron Watson's film, "Our Very Own," is a wonderful, heartfelt and true-to-life tribute to the town and the people of Shelbyville; the place that gave him the inspiration to reach for the top and get there by coming back home to tell his unique story.

As someone who grew up in neighboring Tullahoma during the same time period, this reviewer was overcome with memories when the trailer for the film was posted on the Internet back in February.

But after viewing the movie twice this weekend, it only can be said that the time and place depicted in "Our Very Own" is perfection, pulled from the writer and director's experiences, loving recollections magically brought to life, ones that many in this town share.

The year is 1978; a time in which there was still some type of innocence left in the world. Five teens -- played by Jason Ritter, Autumn Reeser, Hilarie Burton, Derek Carter and Michael McKee -- are spending the summer with nothing to do but borrow Mom's car to go cruising. It's long before the Internet, cell phones and sky-high gas prices -- and no video games are in existence except for "Pong."

So when the rumors start flying that the hometown girl who made it big, "our very own" Sondra Locke, is to return for the 39th annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, the teens are sent into a frenzy. Resser's character, Melora Kendal, becomes obsessed with the thought of being discovered and following in Locke's footsteps.

At the same time, her best friend, Clancy Whitfield (Ritter), is falling for Melora but is dealing with a deepening crisis at home. His father Billy, played by Academy Award-winner Keith Carradine, is spiraling down a dark path of destruction brought about by grief and guilt, while his mother (Allison Janney) tries to keep the family and her dignity together.

Life in Shelbyville is wistfully portrayed as the rural South once was. Every performance is dead on target, from Carradine's too brief, but effective, work as a man whose life has fallen out from under him to Resser's bright-eyed youth who yearns for more than her life seems to offer.

Janney's work as Joan, a woman trying to keep her world from falling apart, is something that hasn't been seen in film in recent memory. She feels as trapped in her life as the kids do, effectively brought to life when she realizes in one scene at a ladies' town meeting that no one has ever left Shelbyville. Her rapid shift in emotions reflects the chaos her life is becoming.

Ritter has the difficult job of playing a character who's living a double life, trying to balance his time with his tight group of friends with the unfolding tragedy at home, and pulls it off with staggering realism.

Resser's Melora is a striking ray of sunshine and naive optimism who reaches for the stars and knows she'll make it, if she can just get that one break like her idol Locke did.

Beth Grant is dead on authentic as Melora's mother Virginia, a chain-smoking Southern woman who seems to spend all of her time cooking, sewing and sadly shaking her head at whatever scheme the kids cook up next. Equally effective is Amy Landers as Melora's sister Rhonda, who seems resigned to the life that's been handed to her.

Cheryl Hines plays Sally, best friend to Joan since high school and key linchpin in the local rumor mill. She fulfills her role as the person who's always there -- with a shoulder to cry on and receive support from with understated grace.

Academy Award-nominated Mary Badham, who returns to film after almost 40 years, speaks no words in her all too short time on screen but says more with her eyes than most current performers are able to express in two hours.

Other standout roles are Faith Prince's turn as the town busybody, Dale Dickey's sassy waitress [Skillet] at Pope's Cafe, Burton's always bored Bobbie Chester, whose choice in dates causes trouble for her friends, and McKee's Glen Tidwell, who is beginning to face up to certain truths about himself.

All are part of the tapestry that is part of life in Shelbyville, exquisitely brought back to vivid realization by Watson's masterful direction.

Production design is totally accurate to the time period and area, with local touches that only life-long residents would be able to spot. The score by John Swihart touches the heart with delicate adornment.

Aside from a little language that's appropriate but never excessive, "Our Very Own" is a long overdue film for the entire family, full of wit, whimsy and a glance at life as it once was and how many long for it to be again.

One wonders if there were any local kids who viewed the film this weekend that will be given the life-changing aspirations that moved the characters in the movie as it did in real life with Cameron Watson when he chose to strive for his dreams. The circle would truly be complete if the enchanted cycle were to begin again.

Average customer rating:

Great stage production
Our Town is powerful!
amazing performance in a very simple setting
"there is something eternal about every human being"
One of the greatest stage plays of our time!

Our Town

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ASIN: B0007CIHL0

Amazon.com

Thornton Wilder's venerable and shiver-inducing Our Town may be one of the most frequently produced plays in the American repertory, but rarely has it been graced by the likes of Paul Newman's sure hand and stellar clarity. The star was asked by the Artistic Director of the Westport County Playhouse--who just happens to be Joanne Woodward, Newman's wife--to inhabit the role of the all-seeing stage manager in a live production of the show (which subsequently played Broadway). As evocatively re-staged for this video version, the New Hampshire town of Grover's Corners breathes again its crisp air and sad aura of mortality. The show is well acted, especially by vets Jayne Atkinson and Jeffrey DeMunn and heartbreaking newcomers Maggie Lacey and Ben Fox. Newman holds down the center, and his meticulous gestures and singsong voice perfectly conjure up the stage manager's detached but vaguely regretful view of life's transience. The moon is still bright over Our Town. --Robert Horton

Description

Veteran actor-director Paul Newman makes his first Broadway appearance in four decades in this sold-out Westport Country Playhouse production of the Thornton Wilder classic. Newman plays the Stage Manager, who narrates the immortal tale of Grover's Corners, U.S.A., and its citizens.The superb cast of Our Town includes Frank Converse, Jane Curtin, Ben Fox, Jayne Atkinson, Stephen Spinella, and Maggie Lacy. "Marvelous," writes the New Yorker.

Customer Reviews:

Great stage production.......2007-08-23

If you can't see the real thing this production is the next best thing. Wonderful staging and acting from all the cast.. Paul Newman's performance is worth the price of the DVD on it's own.

Our Town is powerful!.......2006-11-10

We bought this DVD because our daughter got the lead (Emily) in her college's presentation of it and we wanted to get an introduction to the play before we went to see it live. When we watched the movie, we were thoroughly impressed with the acting of the entire ensemble and with the quality of the production.

amazing performance in a very simple setting.......2006-04-14

a very simple story about a small town, about life and death, about the normal and peaceful life in this small town. parents and kids and life goes on.....the last part about the deaths, dead town people on the hill is a little stretched. you wouldn't enjoy this story like you enjoyed the other strongly emotional tragedies or romances, because it's just a small town stories that almost happened and going on all america and all the world. no big deal, nothing excited, just appreciat the great performances.

"there is something eternal about every human being".......2004-07-18

Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize winning 1938 play is one of my favorites, and this in an exquisite production of it. Paul Newman as the Stage Manager, in one of his most memorable performances, leads a superb ensemble cast. So much of this play is mime...cooking on the invisible stove, eating the imaginary breakfast...and the actors flow through the movements so easily, one almost sees the missing objects.
Wilder's play, which was inspired by Gertrude Stein's 1925 "The Making of Americans", draws one into it, with the actors sometimes talking directly to the viewer; it has a simplicity and charm that make it stay fresh even when one knows the words by heart.

The time is the early 20th century, in Grovers Corners, New Hampshire, and centers on the Webb and Gibbs families, who live next door to each other, and especially Emily Webb (Maggie Lacey) and George Gibbs (Ben Fox), who fall in love with gentle glances and sweet words. Lacey and Fox are luminous, and capture the heart of this lovely play.
As their parents, Jayne Atkinson and Frank Connors are marvelous as Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs, as are Jane Curtin and Jeffrey DeMunn as Charles and Myrtle Webb.

Originally produced for Connecticut's Westport County Playhouse, the show later moved to Broadway, where it garnered Paul Newman, 78 at the time, a Tony nomination.
Directed by James Naughton, this is a splendid performance of a perfect, and quite profound play; it is a keeper, and one that will make you smile, and sometimes weep, over and over again. Total running time is 120 minutes.

One of the greatest stage plays of our time!.......2004-03-18

I was first familiarized with "Our Town" when I was a child and it has made a lasting impression on me through the years.I love the town of Grovers Corners,getting to know the People and the Town is a truly magical experience.One of my favorite storys of all time.Thornton Wilder transports the viewer into another time and place in such an uplifting,wholesome and haunting way that leaves one in awe.I beleive this version is truly a credit to Mr Wilder's greatest work "Our Town"!

Average customer rating:

Great stage production
Our Town is powerful!
amazing performance in a very simple setting
"there is something eternal about every human being"
One of the greatest stage plays of our time!

Our Town
Starring: Jayne Atkinson , Wendy Barrie-Wilson , Reathel Bean , John Braden , and Tom Brennan (II)
Director: James Naughton
Manufacturer: Pbs (Direct)
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ASIN: B00015YVR2
Release Date: 2004-01-06

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Great stage production.......2007-08-23

If you can't see the real thing this production is the next best thing. Wonderful staging and acting from all the cast.. Paul Newman's performance is worth the price of the DVD on it's own.

Our Town is powerful!.......2006-11-10

amazing performance in a very simple setting.......2006-04-14

"there is something eternal about every human being".......2004-07-18

One of the greatest stage plays of our time!.......2004-03-18

OT:OUR TOWN. A Famous American Play in an Infamous American Town

Average customer rating:

Kids + hope + the power of one person = amazing!
Teamwork
OT: Our Town-- A great story for today's students
Our Town, Compton, California
You'll laugh, you'll cry -- you'll be changed by this movie

OT:OUR TOWN. A Famous American Play in an Infamous American Town
Starring: Catherine Borek , Karen Greene (IV) , Ebony Starr Norwood-Brown , Archie Posada , and Armia Robinson
Director: Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Manufacturer: Film Movement
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006GVPXO
Release Date: 2005-01-01

Product Description

OT: OUR TOWN is the August selection in the Film Movement Series. Subscribers receive a socially important film such as OT: our town to own on DVD each month. Against all odds, the first theatrical production in over 20 years at Dominguez High School is going to be Thornton Wilders American classic Our Town. The kids at this Compton school are about to experience more than a culture clash, as they embark on a rich journey and discover the educational and social value of theater. OT: our town tells the story of the human spirit and its strength against the stereotypes holding them down. Whereas Wilder wrote about little Grovers Corners, this documentary exemplifies how Our Town is every town... Our Town is Compton. The documentary film tells the inspiring story about a high-school in the ghetto performing its first-ever theatrical production. OT:our town is used by teachers across the nation to demonstrate the power of art to transform lives.

Customer Reviews:

Kids + hope + the power of one person = amazing!.......2007-05-28

Two aspects of this movie really struck me. One is that kids are kids, whether they're in a wealthy suburb or Compton (though their different circumstances _do_ affect them substantially). The other is that one person (in this case, one teacher) can make a huge difference in young people's lives. I sometimes feel burned out after ten years as a middle school teacher, but seeing the teacher in Compton give these kids love and inspiration - and bring out the best in them - reminded me how important and rewarding teaching can be. This film will open your eyes and warm your heart.

Teamwork.......2006-06-07

The documentary "OT: Our Town" is a must for theatre education. It shows how the process of putting on a play instills teamwork, professionalism and discipline. Everyone in the group is so dependent on the success of each individual that it really is an excellent experience that students can use in many walks of life. This documentary is particularly fulfilling set in Compton, California at Dominguez High. Not having put on a play for 20 years, the teachers had to fight an uphill battle without funding to be able to stage Thornton Wilder's show. Some of the charm of the documentary comes from watching how the largely Black & Hispanic cast adapt the show to be meaningful in their world. One scene where a cast member talks about all the people they know who have been killed and then relates that to the death at Grovers Corner tugs at your heartstrings. Watching the students stage that kiss between George & Emily is hilarious and charming. This film is excellent because it shows how relevant theatre can be. Enjoy!

OT: Our Town-- A great story for today's students.......2006-01-29

If you love the play Our Town, if you're a teacher who has taught Our Town and tried to get your students to see the power, the relevancy and the charm of this American classic, OT: Our Town is a story you will want to watch and share with your students. I had my kids read the play and then I showed them this movie. One of the kids put it this way: "That movie actually wasn't boring!" High praise indeed from a high school junior these days, and if you too are in the classroom you know exactly what I mean. This is a wonderful documentary, very touching and relevant and filled with human truth. And it shows just how timeless the message of Our Town is!

Our Town, Compton, California.......2005-09-26

Catherine Borek, a teacher at the Dominguez High School in Compton, California, an area of Los Angeles County known for its gangs and drive-by shootings, had the inspired and daring idea to have her class perform Thornton Wilder's "Our Town." Borek re-created the play to reflect the environment of the students, and in directing the production, she sometimes uses "tough love" to push them to their limits, urging them to learn their lines, and express themselves in a way that is foreign to them. Also directing them is teacher Karen Greene, and with no budget and little time, they put the show on in the cafeteria, in makeshift costumes, and fortunately, "Our Town" requires no more than some chairs and a table for scenery.

We get to see some the home life of the teens, but most of the film centers on their preparation for the play, and their enthusiasm for the project grows as the performance date draws near. The film ends with portions of the performance, and it is funny, touching, and wonderful to see the kids doing so well, in a play that one would think would be hard to transpose to present day Southern California. As a reference, clips from the 1977 television production starring Hal Holbrook and Robby Benson are used, during the preparatory footage.

Scott Hamilton Kennedy directed this documentary, and the students, though not famous yet, deserve mention. It stars Ebony Norwood-Brown as The Stage Manager, Archie Posada as George Gibbs, Armia Robinson as Emily Webb, and others in the cast include Jackie Oliver, Christopher Patterson, and José Perez. One hopes that having succeeded in this challenge, these students will continue to excel in more plays, and other areas of their lives. This was the first play presented by the Dominguez High School in 21 years, and Ms. Borek should be lauded for her courage and vision. Perhaps with this documentary as inspiration, more inner city schools will attempt to do this marvelous play, which is the most performed play in American theater history, and now has been proved to adapt well to its surroundings. Total running time is 76 minutes.

You'll laugh, you'll cry -- you'll be changed by this movie.......2005-01-13

THis documentary (and I hate to use that word, as it sounds so dreary) is set in a high school in a particularly awful Southern California community -- Compton. The only good thing about the school is the basketball team (one of the players goes directly to the Chicago Bulls after graduation) and the students tend to get pregnant (the girls) or get shot (the boys). A couple of idealistic teachers decide that it's time to try putting on a play -- something that hasn't happened in ages (if at all) at this high school. They pick Our Town, which is perhaps an odd choice given how middle America Our Town is, and how -- diverse -- the students at Dominguez H.S. in Compton are (Hispanic and African American). The students think a play sounds like fun but then they think they don't like the play and what if no-one comes to see them, etc. The teachers have trouble with students coming to rehearsal and memorizing their lines. The high school has no stage (great gym, however).

I won't tell you how the play turns out -- I was concerned myself the closer they got to opening day and couldn't imagine what it was like for the teachers.

I wish movies like this were more widely distributed. For one thing, getting to know the student actors in this movie helped you see the real diversity in Compton -- how different but real each student was, how in some ways the stereotype was true (violence is a big problem in Compton and the students aren't self-disciplined and bring quite a lot of baggage to class) and yet they have potential, talent, and their own stories to tell.

I highly recommend this movie.

Average customer rating:

Small Town
Nobody has mentioned the music!
Needs to be Updated
the same two reviews have been submitted for all three versions
American Theatre Classic goes Hollywood

Our Town
Starring: William Holden , Martha Scott , Fay Bainter , Beulah Bondi , and Thomas Mitchell
Director: Sam Wood
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008K7A9
Release Date: 2003-01-21

Description

Meet the citizens of Grover's Corner, a small New Hampshire town, as they face the large and small questions of life. "Our Town" earned six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

B&W
Running Time: 90 min.

Customer Reviews:

Small Town.......2007-09-12

Nobody has mentioned the music!.......2007-08-23

Needs to be Updated.......2006-12-04

the same two reviews have been submitted for all three versions.......2006-07-24

the play is good, and the movie too as I remeber, but if there is something wrong with the dvd transfer it would be nice to know which version actually has the problem.

American Theatre Classic goes Hollywood.......2006-01-20

Save Our History - Gold Rush Ghost Towns (History Channel)

Average customer rating:

A Word of Warning

Save Our History - Gold Rush Ghost Towns (History Channel)
Starring: Save Our History
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Gold Rush (DVD)

ASIN: B000ADWDKW
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Customer Reviews:

A Word of Warning.......2005-12-02

This DVD briefly mentions and shows just two ghost towns (Bodie, California and Garnet, Montana). It spends almost the entire video in showing how they are restoring log cabins in Montana and mining for gold in California and the process used for mining for gold. While these all may be interesting subjects, they are barely mentioning the ghost towns themselves. The length of the DVD is under an hour. They probably spent less than five minutes actually showing and telling about the ghost towns and only mention two. For the money being charged for this DVD, you might want to think twice before purchasing it.

Average customer rating:

Our Town
Starring: Frank Craven; William Holden; Martha Scott; Thomas Mitchell; Fay Bainter
Director: Sam Wood
Manufacturer: Reel Enterprises
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000KJTC8M
Release Date: 2006-11-13

Description

Change comes slowly to a small New Hampshire town in the early 20th century. We see birth, life and death in this small community, based on a Thornton Wilder play. Sweet and sensitive. Buoyed by wise performances. Very moving. Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Black & White Art Directon, Best Original Score and Score, Best Sound Recording.

DVD:

DVD

DVD