I wasn't impressed with this film. In fact, I really didn't like it. I found 'Our Town' to be mundane and disappointing. Given that Thornton Wilder's famous play was a Pulitzer Prize winner, this was surprising.
I give the play about a seven on a one-to-ten scale. I've only read it, never seen it performed (it's rarely performed in Australia!), but I've read better. However, I give the film five as it makes even the better parts of the play uninteresting.
I simply could not connect with the actors playing the parts. Martha Scott was very dull in her role and didn't do much with her character, Emily. How her performance warranted an Oscar nomination is beyond me, considering great performances such as Vivien Leigh in Waterloo Bridge and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday were overlooked for Scott. Bill Holden, very young here, is almost unrecognizable in his role and looks tentative and nervous. Thomas Mitchell and Beulah Bondi, seasoned supporting performers, probably fare the best.
The themes of the play are only mildly interesting in this screen adaptation. Don't get me wrong, I like a nice dose of Americana on film, yet this film does nothing for me. It is lacking in emotion and a genuine small-town feel. The opening narration works well, yet the film goes downhill from there.
I give the play about a seven on a one-to-ten scale. I've only read it, never seen it performed (it's rarely performed in Australia!), but I've read better. However, I give the film five as it makes even the better parts of the play uninteresting.
I simply could not connect with the actors playing the parts. Martha Scott was very dull in her role and didn't do much with her character, Emily. How her performance warranted an Oscar nomination is beyond me, considering great performances such as Vivien Leigh in Waterloo Bridge and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday were overlooked for Scott. Bill Holden, very young here, is almost unrecognizable in his role and looks tentative and nervous. Thomas Mitchell and Beulah Bondi, seasoned supporting performers, probably fare the best.
The themes of the play are only mildly interesting in this screen adaptation. Don't get me wrong, I like a nice dose of Americana on film, yet this film does nothing for me. It is lacking in emotion and a genuine small-town feel. The opening narration works well, yet the film goes downhill from there.