Mrs. Miniver (film)

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Mrs. Miniver

Mrs. Miniver promotional poster
Directed by William Wyler
Produced by Sidney Franklin
Written by Jan Struther (book)
George Froeschel
James Hilton
Claudine West
Arthur Wimperis
Starring Greer Garson
Walter Pidgeon
Teresa Wright
Dame May Whitty
Music by Herbert Stothart
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s) June 4, 1942 (USA premiere)
Running time 134 min.
Language English
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Mrs. Miniver is a 1942 drama film directed by William Wyler and starring Greer Garson in the title role. It was produced as a propaganda film aimed at ending American isolation from World War II, and was based on the fictional English housewife created by Jan Struther in 1937 for a series of newspaper columns, Mrs. Miniver.[1]

The film won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Director.

Contents

[edit] Background

The film adaptation of Mrs. Miniver was produced by MGM in 1942 with Greer Garson in the leading role and William Wyler directing. Under the influence of the American Office of War Information, the film attempted to undermine Hollywood's prewar depiction of England as a glamorous bastion of social privilege, anachronistic habits and snobbery in favour of more democratic, modern images. To this end, the social status enjoyed by the Miniver family in the print version was downgraded and increased attention was given to the erosion of class barriers under the pressures of wartime.

The film exceeded all expectations, grossing $5,358,000 in North America (the highest for any MGM film at the time) and $3,520,000 abroad. In Britain, it was named the top box office attraction of 1942. 555 of the 592 film critics polled by American magazine Film Daily named it the best film of 1942. On June 14, 2006 it was named #40 on the American Film Institute's list celebrating the most inspirational films of all time.

[edit] Plot

Although not as 'socially privileged' as in the book, the Mrs. Miniver of the film version is still presented as living a comfortable life at a house called Starlings; not in inner London but in an outer suburb along the river Thames. The house has a large garden with a private landing stage on the river and a motorboat. Her husband Clem (despite his American accent) is a successful English architect; they have several live-in staff and a son at University.

As World War II looms, the eldest son Vin comes down from university and meets Carol Beldon, granddaughter of Lady Beldon, a very stiff-upper-lip aristocrat from nearby Beldon Hall. Despite initial disagreements, they fall in love and eventually marry. As the war comes closer to home, Vin feels he must do his bit and joins the Royal Air Force as a pilot. When qualified, he is posted to a station close to his parents home. Clem takes his motorboat to assist in the Dunkirk evacuations. Left alone at home, Mrs. Miniver finds a wounded German pilot in her garden. She feeds him, then calmly disarms him and calls the police.

The town is heavily bombed and whilst Vin is away with his squadron, Carol is killed by a stray bullet. The local inhabitants assemble at the badly damaged church and affirm their determination to fight on and defend their way of life.

[edit] Awards and nominations

The film won six Oscars:

It was nominated for another six Oscars:

[edit] Romantic interest

Soon after filming, Richard Ney, who played Greer Garson's son and 11 years her junior, married Garson.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Mrs. Miniver (1942) at Reel Classics. Retrieved on 2008-04-28.


[edit] External links

Awards
Preceded by
How Green Was My Valley		 Academy Award for Best Picture
1942		 Succeeded by
Casablanca
v • d • e
Films directed by William Wyler
1920s
The Crook Buster (1925) • The Gunless Bad Man (1926) • Ridin' for Love (1926) • The Fire Barrier (1926) • Don't Shoot (1926) • The Pinnacle Rider (1926) • Martin of the Mounted (1926) • Lazy Lightning (1926) • The Stolen Ranch (1926) • The Two Fister (1927) • Kelcy Gets His Man (1927) • Tenderfoot Courage (1927) • The Silent Partner (1927) • Blazing Days (1927) • Shooting Straight (1927) • Galloping Justice (1927) • The Haunted Homestead (1927) • Hard Fists (1927) • The Lone Star (1927) • The Home Trail (1927) • Gun Justice (1927) • The Phantom Outlaw (1927) • The Square Shooter (1927) • The Horse Trader (1927) • Daze of the West (1927) • The Border Cavalier (1927) • Desert Dust (1927) • Thunder Riders (1928) • Anybody Here Seen Kelly? (1928) • The Shakedown (1929) • The Love Trap (1929)
1930s
Hell's Heroes (1930) • The Storm (1930) • A House Divided (1931) • Tom Brown of Culver (1932) • Her First Mate (1933) • Counsellor at Law (1933) • Glamour (1934) • The Good Fairy (1935) • The Gay Deception (1935) • Barbary Coast (1935) • These Three (1936) • Dodsworth (1936) • Come and Get It (1936) • Dead End (1937) • Jezebel (1938) • Wuthering Heights (1939)
1940s
The Westerner (1940) • The Letter (1940) • The Little Foxes (1941) • Mrs. Miniver (1942) • The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress (1944) • The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) • Thunderbolt (1947) • The Heiress (1949)
1950s
Detective Story (1951) • Carrie (1952) • Roman Holiday (1953) • The Desperate Hours (1955) • Friendly Persuasion (1956) • The Big Country (1958) • Ben-Hur (1959)
1960s
The Children's Hour (1961) • The Collector (1965) • How to Steal a Million (1966) • Funny Girl (1968)
1970s
v • d • e
Academy Award for Best Picture

How Green Was My Valley (1941) · Mrs. Miniver (1942) · Casablanca (1943) · Going My Way (1944) · The Lost Weekend (1945) · The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) · Gentleman's Agreement (1947) · Hamlet (1948) · All the King's Men (1949) · All About Eve (1950) · An American in Paris (1951) · The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) · From Here to Eternity (1953) · On the Waterfront (1954) · Marty (1955) · Around the World in Eighty Days (1956) · The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) · Gigi (1958) · Ben-Hur (1959) · The Apartment (1960)

Complete List · (1928–1940) · (1941–1960) · (1961–1980) · (1981–2000) · (2001–present)