Our Town

778. OUR TOWN (1940-USA). With WILLIAM HOLDEN, MARTHA SCOTT, FAY BAINTER, BEULAI BONDI, THOMAS MITCHELL, Guy KIBBEE, STUART ERWIN, FRANK CRAVEN. From the play by THORNTON WILDER (who also collaborated on the screenplay). Music by AARON COPLAND. A beautifully done, heartwarming film adaptation Of the famous play about a small New Hampshire town in 1901. Mr. Wilder has been called, “The Keeper Of the Time Capsule”, no doubt in good measure because Of the beauty Of this story. “Our Town” is all too rare an opportunity to return in time to those happy years before the first World War. The hero Of the film is really the town crier. Gover’s Corners, population 2,642 as Of a certain sunny day in 1901. Roughly divided into three parts arbitrarily called “The Daily Life,” “Love and Marriage” and “Birth and Death”, the film stays with the townsfolk for a dozen years. They get older, fall in love, many have children and die before your eye: It’s sort Of a cinematic ant colony, sliced open and faced with glass so we can watch the species a work. Many Of the unusual staging techniques “Our Town” is noted for were transferred to the screen successfully. The story is a gem, the acting superb, the directing (by SAM WOOD) inspired, the music is perfect. Critical raves (named one Of the 10 best films Of the year by “Film Daily”) won’t leave you nearly as impressed as Thomas Mitchell remembering the people from the town while standing in the graveyard. The Pulitzer Prize awarded to Wilder for “Our Town” won’t affect you emotionally half a much as Martha Scott spiritually visiting her parents back In time, in their kitchen on her 16th birthday. Wilder and “Our Town” have a film finger on the pulse Of America. Highly recommended. 90 minutes. Drama