1942 – Greer Garson
Mrs. Miniver
1942 was a great year for Greer Garson. Not only did she take home the Oscar for her performance in Mrs. Miniver, she was also in Random Harvest, where, though she wasn’t nominated for Best Actress, I think she should have been. And this was coming right after her nomination for Best Actress in 1941 for Blossoms in the Dust. She was the hot ticket, and she did a fantastic job in all three of these films. But here, in Mrs. Miniver, she seemed to have outdone herself. She was incredible!
She played the title character of Mrs. Miniver, a British housewife who did her best to keep her family together and safe during WWII. She had a strength to her that was matched only by her gentleness. She held the family together through the blackouts, the air raids, and the bombings. She survived being held hostage by a wounded German soldier. She hid in the shaking bomb shelter, clasping and comforting her screaming children, along with her husband, while the house was nearly destroyed. And she was there when her beloved daughter-in-law was shot and killed, holding her in her arms as the young girl died.
The movie was full of powerful scenes, and Garson created a character that was full of poise and grace in the face of life-threatening dangers. She also had to play the part of the wife and mother who had to wait at home, caring for the young children while her husband and oldest son had to risk their lives in the war. The movie gave Garson the opportunity to stretch as an actress, and she was up to the challenge. The moment when Carol died, Garson’s looks of shock and grief were wonderfully intense. She really sold the moment, and without a doubt, she earned her Oscar.
But she also shined in her gentler moments. Her portrayal of a loving wife and mother were wonderful to watch. Her on-screen chemistry with her husband, played by Walter Pidgeon, was easy to see. The character she created was beautiful on the inside as well as the outside. And I particularly liked how she handled her relationship with the crotchety, aristocratic Lady Beldon, meeting her vinegar with honey. Garson really knocked this one out of the park.