Tom Hanks made one of the most important anti-war films with Saving Private Ryan. But this one isn’t even one of his own favorites. In an interview with Letterboxd, Hanks revealed his four absolute favorite films. The impromptu decision wasn’t immediately easy for him, but in the end he was very confident in his answers. What was particularly surprising was his second place, which was the drama The Best Years of Our Lives.
The Best Years of Our Lives is Tom Hanks’ favorite World War II film
That’s what it’s about: Three World War II veterans return home. However, the hope and joy of returning are quickly dimmed. Captain Fred Derry (Dana Andrews) finds himself in a broken marriage with his wife Marie (Virgina Mayo), and Al Stephenson (Fredric March) was overseas for so long that his children grew up without him. He is now a stranger to her.
Homer Parrish (Harold Russell), who lost both hands in the war and is now returning to civilian life with prosthetic arms, was also hit hard. All three must build a new life for themselves while coming to terms with their wartime past.
Watch the trailer for The Best Years of Our Lives from 1946 here:
The Best Years of Our Lives – Trailer (English)
The Best Years of Our Lives is a film about the Second World War that takes place outside of the war. Rather, he looks at the soldiers after the battles.
It has absolutely nothing to do with World War II, except that it’s all about World War II.
For Tom Hanks it is the best film on the subject because it not only shows what the soldiers went through, even after the war, but because it is timeless and still relevant today.
Tom Hanks names his top 4 best films of all time
In the interview, Tom Hanks also reveals other favorite films. At number 1 is 2001: A Space Odyssey. Third place goes to A Hard Day’s Night. The film shows the Beatles from their funny side and proves that they were absolute rock stars. In fourth place, Tom Hanks calls Asphalt Cowboy.
https://x.com/letterboxd/status/1669377319725572106
If you haven’t seen these films yet, you should definitely consider putting them on your watchlist. Not every one of these works will appeal to all tastes, but they are definitely worth seeing.