Product Description

Winner of six Academy Awards(R) including Best Picture, this memorable spirit-lifter about an idealized England that tends its prize-winning roses while confronting the terror of war struck a patriotic chord with American audiences and became 1942's #1 box-office hit. Greer Garson gives a formidable Oscar(R)-winning performance in the title role, comforting children in a bomb shelter, capturing an enemy parachutist and delivering an inspirational portrait of stiff-upper-lip British resolve. When Hitler did his worst, Mrs. Miniver did her best. Year: 1942 Director: William Wyler Starring: Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7081 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2004-02-03
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Black & White, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 133 minutes

Features

• Winner of six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, this memorable spirit-lifter about an idealized England that tends its prize-winning roses while confronting the terror of war struck a patriotic chord with American audiences and became 1942's #1 box-office hit. Greer Garson gives a formidable Oscar-winning performance in the title role, comforting children in a bomb shelter, capturing an enem

Amazon.com
A movie doesn't win seven Oscars for nothing. A glowing Greer Garson (Best Actress) commands the screen as Mrs. Miniver, a middle-class British housewife whose strength holds her family together as World War II literally hits their home. Walter Pidgeon as her architect husband seems to be the prototype for future TV dads in this affecting portrait of love--familial and romantic--during war. But the relationship between Mrs. Miniver's college-age son (Richard Ney) and the upper-crust Carol (Best Supporting Actress Teresa Wright) is filled with inherent drama--as the war speeds up their young love, it also has the potential to doom it. The 1942 film, which also won for Best Picture and Best Director, is filled with colorful characters, snappy dialogue, and sensational plot twists. Although you spend much of the movie dreading that one of the Minivers will become a casualty of war, when it finally happens, it's not what you anticipated. Exactly what you'd expect from a legendary film that lives up to its billing. --Valerie J. Nelson

Customer Reviews

A White Rose Turned Red From Tears
This beautiful drama about a quiet English village and its inhabitants during the early days of WWII is perfect in every way. Director William Wyler was himself flying a bombing mission over Germany the night the Academy got it right and singled it out as Best Picture. Like the hat Greer Garson purchases despite the cost, this film is rather precious, and if made tomorrow, would still win the award for Best Picture.

Wyler was delivered a fabulous script from screenwriters Arthur Wimpers, George Froeschell, James Hilton, and Claudine West. Greer Garson's restrained performance as Jan Struther's heroine won her Best Actress honors but the entire cast is equally good, Teresa Wright especially so as the bright and cheery young woman who would marry the Miniver's son and show them all the way.

Wyler paints a lovely picture of day-to-day life in 1939 for the Miniver family and the small village where they live. Greer Garson is the nice Mrs. Miniver. An early scene when the kind porter Mr. Ballard (Henry Travers) reveals to her that he has named the beautiful red rose he intends to enter in the yearly floral contest after her, sets the feelings and mood of the entire film. The story of the white rose turning red from tears yet made more beautiful was not lost on audiences on both sides of the pond. If ever a film gave the world a resolve to stand up to evil, this quiet and touching film certainly did.

Wyler shows the poignancy of young men going off to war as the Miniver's young son, Vin, home from college and full of ideals, joins the R.A.F. There is one terribly moving scene as Garson listens with all her being as the planes fly over, waiting for Vin's signal that he is one of those returning. Wyler shows the efforts of all during the early days of the war to help in any way possible. Clem (Walter Pidgeon) will use his small boat along with his fellow villagers in a dangerous rescue mission during the night, beautifully filmed by the director.

But through the air raids, which become matter-of-fact for the Miniver family, the joyous moments of living are shown by Wyler, leaving no doubt that life will and does go on. Dame May Whitty is superb as the village's most powerful woman, Lady Beldon. She is the grandmother of the sweet Carol, portrayed winningly by Teresa Wright. It is her romance with Vin (Richard Ney) which will provide the most poignant moment in the film, showing that tragedy could come at any moment.

Garson's cool resolve when confronting a downed German flyer in her kitchen is never to be forgotten. Neither are the moments of Mrs. Miniver's small children sleeping peacefully in the cellar during air raids hitting closer and closer to home while Clem talks and she knits. Just as moving, however, is the moment the winner for best rose is announced.

There is a deeply moving and unexpected death, just as it happened to many families, English and otherwise, during the war. But it will not defeat the Minivers or the village, and the final speech was so stirring that Roosevelt had leaflets of it dropped from the air all over Europe.

Rarely does something so entertaining have the substance of "Mrs. Miniver." It is no wonder that Churchill said "Mrs. Miniver" was more important to the war effort than an entire fleet of of destroyers ever could have been. A magnificent and unforgettable film you can watch time and again with the entire family. A must see film for everyone.

EXCEPTIONAL WAR TIME MELODRAMA/BEAUTIFUL TRANSFER!
"Mrs. Miniver" is one of those non-factual, war time propaganda tear jerkers that has proven itself to be enduring and immensely entertaining. Upon its release, Winston Churchill declared the film more influential in getting America involved in WWII than a fleet of destroyers. The plot concerns Mrs. Miniver (Greer Garson) the atypical English housewife quietly enduring the hardships of war and capturing a downed Nazi pilot in her begonias in the process. It sounds hoaky but actually the story is incredibly stirring. Walter Pigeon, Garson?s frequent costar, is cast as her tender husband, Clem. Richard Ney plays her slightly opinionated son, Vin who rises to the occasion and becomes a flyer for the RAF. Aside: Ney and Garson were carrying on an affair during the filming that eventually resulted in a disastrous marriage and a quicky divorce. Oh well, at least the relationships in the film are perfect. Of merit is Teresa Wright?s outstanding performance as Carol, Vin's doomed fianc?e.

Previously issued versions of this film were near perfect so it's really no surprise to discover that this DVD carries on in the same tradition. Quite simply: the picture is outstanding. Blacks are deep and solid. The gray scale is beautiful and well balanced. There is hardly a scratch or a bit of grit or grain to distract. The soundtrack is equally impressive in MONO but very, very nicely balanced. A bit of a disappointment comes from the fact that no one at Warner Brothers had the foresight to do a ?making of? featurette. All we get is a couple of short subjects and a stills gallery.

Even for John Wayne Fans
This is by far not your typical war movie. I love war movies. I have the vast majority of war movies on DVD or VHS. I have been anxiously awaiting some of the older classic war movies like "The Enemy Below (1957)", "African Queen (1951)", "Mrs. Minniver (1942)", and "The Pied Piper (1942)" to come out on DVD. I am delighted to see this will be available in February.
No movie that I have seen about WWII tells a better story of how the English endured so much hardship and personal loss for so many years. This could easily have been a very depressing movie but it has many lighter and uplifting moments that balance out the sorrow and make you feel good at the end of the movie. If you bought this just because of the award nominations it received you should consider yourself pretty smart. If you buy it because of the good reviews from people here at Amazon you are intelligent. If you bought it because you only buy the best movies, and this is a great movie with a boat load of extras, well there aren't words to describe how gifted you are.

If you enjoy movies that take a more personal look at the impact of war on families you will like this movie. Far from being boring as some family movies drag when they get into far to many personal details. This movie has plenty of action with the Battle of Dunkirk, German bombings and strafings, and a enemy parachutist on the loose. Mrs. Miniver reminds me a little of a tough woman like Maureen O'Hara in the John Wayne movies. Her strength is a little more sophisticated but nonetheless you know it is there. She is the kind of woman you know can weather the storm and you are happy to have her with you. The DVD includes Greer Garson academy award footage, photos, and a couple wartime shorts. The movie itself makes it a great buy, but with these bonuses it's a steal.