Principal cast
Dana Andrews as Fred Derry, Fredric March as Al Stephenson, Harold Russell as Homer Parrish, Teresa Wright as Peggy Stephenson, and Myrna Loy as Milly Stephenson
Film 37 of 244 on the Screen Path
The Best Years of Our Lives
Three wonderful loves in the best picture of the year!
About the film
The Best Years of Our Lives at a glance.
Screen Path places this 1946 film at stop 37 in one curated journey through cinema. The learning experience adds context before you watch and deeper analysis after.
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 become a nightmare.
Key craft credits
Gregg Toland (director of photography), Daniel Mandell (editor), Hugo Friedhofer (original music composer), Robert E. Sherwood (screenplay), and George Jenkins (art direction)
- Director
- William Wyler
- Release
- 1946-12-25
- Runtime
- 171 minutes
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, and War
- Country
- United States
- Quiz
- 50 questions
The Screen Path journey
Before. After. Remember.
The featured film is watched outside Screen Path. The app provides the learning experience around it: a guide, an analysis, and a quiz with explanations.
01
Before you watch
Start with a spoiler-free video guide to the context and filmmaking choices worth noticing.
Spoiler-free02
After the film
Return after watching for a deeper video analysis of craft, meaning, and legacy.
Contains spoilers03
Quiz yourself
Answer 50 questions with clear rationales designed to make the ideas stick.
50 questions in this journeyWant to try a complete journey on the web? The Citizen Kane page includes the spoiler-free guide, after-film analysis, and a sample quiz.
Try Citizen Kane →Film data and images provided by TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.