Mrs. Miniver

Old-fashioned, prim and proper. This could've been a prime British classic, only it was directed by a German native and funded with US money. I can't say these film do much for me, certainly not when they're stretched to 2+ hours and try to make a story out of a flower growing competition.

Mrs. Miniver is a respected young woman in a small British village. She lives there with her husband and three kids, but her life takes a nasty turn when the war starts. Her husband and oldest son join the army, while Mrs. Miniver stays behind. She does her best to contribute to the war effort in her own way.

This is the type of film that relies on the audience liking its characters, otherwise it all falls to pieces. Drama becomes cheap sentiment and the runtime turns into a real hurdle. I didn't care for any of the characters and was bored out of my wits. Then again, it was nominated for plenty of Oscars (and won one too), so I'm not that surprised.