Mrs. Miniver

England at the precipice of World War II. Like everyone else, the Miniver family faces the hardships of the war: the Blitz, the evacuation of Dunkirk, the recruitment of the eldest son into the army. Mrs. Miniver and her husband show the same famous British determination, and their steadfastness survives even the most difficult of times. When the film was released, the US was attacked at Pearl Harbor and Mrs. Miniver exemplified national sentiments so well that Churchill thanked the heads of MGM for the film's contribution to the propaganda effort. This anecdote should not detract from the excellence of this drama: William Wyler knows how to transform dramatic scenes into singular and heartfelt moments without turning them into clichés. In short: this is an exceptional classic not to be missed.