No. 3 in our Patriotic Movies July 4th countdown even has ‘best’ in its name!
Even we can’t believe this movie came in third in BestEverBuzz’s Patriotic Movies July 4th countdown! Fact is, The Best Years of Our Lives is one of the best movies ever, of any kind.
It just got edged out on this list by two other movies with patriotism more front and center, that’s all. (Those two movies, the No. 2 and No. 1 most patriotic movies ever, are coming up on July 4th.)
Yes, BestEverBuzz continues its Patriotic Movies July 4th countdown, with two each day concluding on July Fourth. We hope it stirs your own sense of patriotism, lights your July 4th fireworks and inspires you to see these movies in a new light – or maybe see them for the first time.
After the countdown, ending on the Fourth of July, we’ll reveal five more patriotic movies that barely missed the cut. As for those that did make the Top 10, here are links to No. 10, to No. 9, to No. 8, to No. 7, to No. 6, to No. 5 and to No. 4.
OK, let’s look at why The Best Years of Our Lives is No. 3 in BestEverBuzz’s Patriotic Movies July 4th countdown!
- The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
There simply isn’t a more genuine – yet uplifting – portrayal of World War II veterans trying to find their place back in civilian life than The Best Years of Our Lives.
Simply one of the best movies ever made, The Best Years of Our Lives tells the tale of three such veterans who meet and bond on their way back to their small town. They include one young man who lost both hands – played by real-life disabled veteran Harold Russell – and who must fight his own internal war over whether the girl next door’s affections are love or pity.
Despite not being a professional actor, Russell won two Oscars for his performance, which no one else has ever done.
Co-star Dana Andrews is a soda jerk-turned-bombardier lost between those two very different skill sets. And Fredric March plays a banker who is welcomed back to his bank and family, but struggles even with acceptance.
How comforting this landmark coming-home tale must have been for millions of our returning heroes. We’ve never had a more intimate look at the coming of age of America’s Greatest Generation.
This movie deserves 100% — but comes very close with a 97% from critics at RottenTomatoes.com.
And that’s why The Best Years of Our Lives is No. 3 in BestEverBuzz’s Patriotic Movies July 4th countdown!
