THE INN OF THE SIXTH HAPPINESS

THE INN OF THE SIXTH HAPPINESS - 1958

RATING - NR but probably G. VERY family friendly.

RATED - 68 Amazon (4.5/5), 1,010 IMBD (7.1/10)

AWARDS - One Academy Award & two BAFTA nominations.

STARRING - Ingrid Bergman

THEMES - Love, self-sacrifice, justice.

STORY - THE INN OF THE SIXTH HAPPINESS is an Academy Award nominee epic starring Ingrid Bergman as Gladys Aylward, a young British maid who, despite being turned down by the China Mission in London, is determined to go to China as a missionary. Based on the novel, 'The Little Woman', which is based on the true story of Aylward, this is the story of her life in a small village in the heart of China. There she meets up with an older missionary lady who is trying to restore an old inn into an inn for the mule caravans that pass thru the village. The two women finally get it fixed up and then they must attract their customers, a very amusing scene. At first not trusted by the locals, she eventually wins their confidence thru her sacrificial lifestyle and even sees the conversion of a powerful Mandarin in a very moving scene. When the Japanese invade, the lives of many orphans are threatened and Gladys (now Jenai) must find a way to lead the 100 children to safety. This is a wonderful film with adventure and drama and, of course, a little romance thrown in. Well worth watching. They just don't make these kind of films anymore where virtue and self-sacrifice are emphasized the way they are in THE INN OF THE SIXTH HAPPINESS. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 11/10/2007.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD

THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S

THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S - 1945

RATED -NR but a VERY family friendly film

STARRING - Ingrid Bergman & Bing Crosby

AWARDS - One Academy Award (Best Sound) and seven other Academy nominations including Best Picture.

RATINGS - 39 Amazon (4.5/5), 1,633 IMBD (7.4/10) TV Guide (5/5)

THEMES - Faith, reconciliation, teamwork, love

STORY - Probably saying Bing Crosby & Ingrid Bergman in the same sentence would be enough. They were both at the top of their game. Crosby is Father O'Malley who is the new pastor assigned to help the financially troubled St. Mary's. Bergman is Sister Benedict who runs the school. She has great faith that all of their problems will be resolved by praying and O'Malley sees the solutions from a more worldly view. They immediately clash when O'Malley gives the students a holiday his first day on the job, much to Bergman's frustration. That is only the beginning of their differences. They both live under the tension of financial pressure that may force them to sell the school. They had already sold their playground to raise money to repair the ancient building. Will the school survive and will they survive each other? Will faith and prayer carry the day or will it be up to O'Malley to work a more practical solution? A wonderful story and, of course, a few songs thrown in. A reminder that 'feel good' movies can be entertaining and while the 'realism' of the 1940's may not be the 'realism' of today, it is a very worthwhile film. A genuine classic. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 11/3/2007.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD