This is a very sweet film, with wonderful performances. It tells a simple story of the GIs returning from WWII, eager to marry, start families, and "make something of themselves." Aside from being very entertaining, this film is a useful as an indication of the American mindset after that war. Working class men were given the opportunity to attend college for free on the GI Bill of Rights, and their wives also wanted to benefit from the educational experience they probably could not have even dreamed of having only five years earlier. The film tosses off messages of freedom, equality and democracy almost casually in the discussions the characters have among themselves. My favorite scenes are first, in the laundromat, where a painting of women at the riverside beating their clothing on rocks is prominently displayed; and then the first session of the wives' informal philosophy class, wherein the women get so excited to be exchanging ideas about the world's great thinkers and, ultimately, come up with some great ideas of their own. In its own small way, this is a groundbreaking film.
Review of Apartment for Peggy
