Movie #1965 "To Each His Own" (TCM) -- I had always wanted to see this movie mainly because of the academy award Olivia de Havilland won for best acting --- I had seen the other one many many times (for "The Heiress"), but never this one, and I am glad I finally did. What a complex script! And it handles several tricky subjects here -- adoption, parenting, loneliness. I really liked the way the film opened --- de Havilland is spending her New Years Eve in fire watching (during the 40s) along with another man who seems to be a curmudgeon, only nodding and grunting as she talks to him. He's very condescending the way he treats her as they go about their work until there's an accident where she helps him out and some ice is broken between the two. We then find out that they are both so lonely and have been for many years. She actually opens up to him about why she is the way she is and tells him about a son she illegitimately had with a soldier who died in WW2 and gave him up for adoption, and she found out he was coming in by train very late tonight and she intended to meet it. And the story goes from there with some flashbacks. It is heartbreaking, and reminded me of the film "Stella Dallas" with the two mothers giving up their children in order to make a better life for them. And Olivia de Havilland does the whole gamut here and deserved the award. I highly recommend it if TCM ever shows it again -- or you can get your hands on the dvd. I'd give it 4.5 out of 5. (just for being a bit lengthy)
"TO EACH HIS OWN" 2 hours, 2 mins 1946
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