Absolutely the worst movie.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Walter Huston, Beulah Bondi, and James Stewart star in "Of Human Hearts," a film from 1938.In other hands, this film could have been a piece of sentimental claptrap. In the hands of Clarence Brown and this wonderful cast, this is a beautiful film that pulls at the heartstrings.Huston plays a preacher who comes into a poor community and has to take what little money, food, and hand-me-downs they give him for himself, his wife (Bondi) and his young son Jason (Gene Reynolds). Jason always resents it and has an uneasy relationship with his strict father. When he grows older, he realizes he can't stay there, and, desiring to be a doctor, he leaves.Jason, with the help of money his mother sends him and working his way through school, succeeds in becoming a doctor. While he is in school, his father dies, and he returns home, losing time at school.Once he gets back to school, he constantly writes to his mother asking for money, and little by little over the years, she sells everything she has. After not hearing from him for several years and the Civil War going on, she is afraid that he might be dead.This is the story of a family, told with honest emotion that at times is almost painful to watch. Huston plays his role with great dignity and a no-nonsense Puritan spirit. Bondi, as the warm, sympathetic mother, devoted to her husband, is fantastic.James Stewart gives a multilayered performance - though he plays an ingrate, he is likable and sincere. The character's ingratitude is not from lack of love -- it comes from being self-involved and also unaware of the sacrifices his mother is making.Guy Kibbee, John Carradine, Gene Reynolds, and Ann Rutherford, are all wonderful. And might I mention, Pilgrim the horse is a real standout.Gene Reynolds, who plays the young Jason, became the producer of shows such as M*A*S*H and is also a director. The child actress who played the young Annie Hawks (who becomes Ann Rutherford) was Leatrice Joy Gilbert, the daughter of John Gilbert. I had the pleasure of speaking with her once - a lovely woman.Don't miss this touching film.

This is a gloriously old-fashioned and sentimental film. The type that went out of style right around the time of World War II, when the country quickly grew up. But this film gives one quite a good idea of what rural life may have been like in pre-Civil War era America.To me, the real star of this film is one of the greatest female character actresses of all time -- Beulah Bondi. Here she plays a minister's wife who endures poverty and hardship while living in a dinkwater town along the Ohio River.Her son is brilliantly played as a boy by Gene Reynolds, and as an adult by Jimmy Stewart.Another "star" of this film would have to be the horse Pilgrim. What a beautiful animal, and so key to the plot.Walter Huston is excellent as the minister/father, who is all too strict with his young son to be as likable as he typically is in most of his film roles.Another welcome feature of this film is rather stunning scenery, with outdoor scenes actually filmed outdoors and in beautiful settings.The pivotal point in the film comes when the father beats the son one more time, even though he is -- at that point -- a young adult. This leads the son to leave home, much to his mother's distress, and head for medical school. While it's easy to criticize the son for his selfishness in not realizing his mother's sacrifices, a 21st century interpretation of the story would be more sympathetic toward the son whose mother did nothing to stop the physical abuse by the father. Clearly, mores have changed a great deal since this film was made in 1938. However, once he graduates from medical school, his selfishness toward his now widowed mother becomes more unforgivable.Then comes the Civil War, and his mother even sells Pilgrim to pay for the son's uniform as he becomes a surgeon. This leads to the climactic and famous scene where the son is called to Washington to meet President Lincoln who severely chides him for neglecting his mother. Corny? For sure. But a dramatic tear jerker for anyone with a heart.And, there are a number of supporting roles here that are well done -- Charles Coburn (not his usual crusty self), Guy Kibbee, John Carradine (as Lincoln), and others.

I really liked the look of this movie, the way the period was portrayed. Charles Coburn's performance was very nicely done, understated.I had heard about this film for many years, but had not had an opportunity to see it until recently. If you are not someone who watches a lot of early melodramatic movies I can see why this would not be for you, but I wouldn't let it be known that I'd sat through it five times just so I could speak with authority on how awful a movie it is.Like one of the other writers, I was also puzzled by the loud chirping birds in the background of some of the scenes.I kept waiting for this to be explained but it was not.And the scene withLincoln, I was sure was going to turn out to be a dream sequence, with Jimmy Stewart's character's guilt having caught up with him. But alas, the filmmakers really did want us to believe the President would pull a doctor off the front lines to scold him for neglecting his mother.Overall I liked it. I'll have to watch five more times just to enjoy the old man who leads the choir by striking the tuning fork on his shoe, apparently unable to hear it because he hums in another key, and begins singing in still another.

By the end of this "sudser", I was howling. Come on, folks, this is one ridiculous drama. I suppose that the first 30 minutes can be tolerated, but when Stewart keeps writing his mother to send him more money, I couldn't wait to see what item she was going to sacrifice next. The ring....the family horse...the whatever. I could easily picture an SNL sketch going bonkers with the concept.And the Lincoln interlude....WHAT??!! Let's stop EVERYTHING, and have ABRAHAM LINCOLN give the selfish main character a lecture on how to treat one's mother???? Definitely, a lesser Jimmy Stewart film. Sure, Bondi performs her standard role with the usual flourish, as do the other main stars, but the script is NOT to be believed.