Movie Review: The Yearling

This movie has a double meaning, is the yearling the deer, or is the yearling the boy.  Here we have a family living on the frontier.  They have had hardship, with two babies passing away.  They have one son remaining.  Mother (Jane Wyman) is embittered by the deaths, while father (Gregory Peck) does what he can to bring her out of her depression.  Their son, Jody (Claude Jarmon Jr.), is caught in the middle.  During this film, Jody grows up considerable.  Part of that growing, he takes over more and more of the farming work as his father is laid up.  His father allows him to adopt a fawn.  This does great wonders for his esteem; however when the deer starts eating everything they plant, their lives are at stake.  The deer just won't learn different.  The inevitable has to happen, but even so Jody runs off.  He intends to make it to the river, but in the end he can't leave things this way and returns.

Movie Review: ****Roman Holiday

This is An Audrey Hepburn Gregory Peck film.  It is Audrey Hepburn's first American film, and she was awarded the best actress Oscar for this film.  Hepburn plays a runaway princess, while Peck the reporter who is going to take advantage of the situation.  The photographer (played by Eddie Albert) helps him in this endeavor.  The princess runs away for a day, being fed up with schedules and expectations.  She meets up with the reporter, who discovers her true identity, but she does not think they know.  And so the reporter spends the day with her, hoping to write a story for $5000.  She befriends a barber who cuts off her hair.  They have many adventures, from eating ice cream from a vendor, a street-side cafe, a boat trip, riding a scooter and getting arrested.  They explain to the magistrate they are headed to their wedding, and everyone forgives the.  Who couldn't forgive Audrey Hepburn.  She is still traveling incognito.  They finally end up at a dance, where there are also secret service from her country, intent on taking her back.  However they get away.  She could go on with her adventure, but after hearing a radio story about her being ill, she realizes she must go back.  The reporter then realizes he has feelings for her, and squashes the story.  However he is at a press conference, where the princess makes it known she enjoyed her holiday, and the photographer gives her a present of all the pictures he had taken.  However, as is often the case, a long-term relationship is not possible as is made known at the end of the film.

My wife says I always give away too much in my reviews.  However, in this case the end is the best part of the film, and is what lingers.  Gregory Peck is the last reporter to leave, lingering while he thinks of how thinks might have been different.

I like Audrey Hepburn.  She has a certain charm and naivete.  Gregory Peck and Eddie Elbert are also good.

Movie Reviews: ***12 O'Clock High

Twelve O'Clock High is an old Gregory Peck classic about the stress of war.  It is one of the first movies to deal with battle fatigue (now know as post traumatic stress disorder).  In this case it portrays a commander who slowly loses it under the pressure of seeing his men die after he sends them into the skies day after day after day.  Flying daylight bombing runs has very hazardous.  The commander slowly cracks from the pressure, after taking over for someone who had previously cracked.  This movie shows the human side of war.  It gets to the best of them.  Dean Jagger (who also played Brigham Young and later converted to Mormonism) portrays the commander who has to get all he can from his men.  He won the Oscar for best supporting actor in this film.