Our Town

1940

Our Town

Critics Consensus

No consensus yet.

86%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 7

46%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 1,291
User image

Verified

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Step 2 of 2

    How did you buy your ticket?

    Let's get your review verified.

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

    You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • How did you buy your ticket?

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

Our Town Photos

View All Photos (2)

Movie Info

Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Our Town is given the Hollywood treatment in this adaptation directed by Sam Wood featuring an evocative score by Aaron Copland and outstanding production design by William Cameron Menzies. Frank Craven is Mr. Morgan, the narrator and our guide through the small town of Grover's Corners in the more innocent American times of 1901, 1904, and 1913. Mr. Morgan chronicles the lives of a handful of Grover's Corners citizens, centering upon Emily Webb (Martha Scott), the daughter of the local newspaper editor (Guy Kibbee), and George Gibbs (William Holden), the son of the local doctor (Thomas Mitchell). Emily and George fall in love and the film details their difficult courtship, marriage, and tragic childbirth. The film was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, losing out to Rebecca.

Cast

William Holden
as Geogre Gibbs
Martha Scott
as Emily Webb
Beulah Bondi
as Mrs. Webb
Guy Kibbee
as Mr. Webb
Frank Craven
as Mr. Morgan, the narrator
Fay Bainter
as Mrs. Gibbs
Thomas Mitchell
as Dr. Gibbs
Stuart Erwin
as Howie Newsome
Philip Wood
as Simon Stinson
Doro Merande
as Mrs. Soames
Ruth Tobey
as Rebecca Gibbs
Douglas Gardiner
as Wally Webb
Arthur Allen
as Prof. Willet
Spencer Charters
as The Constable
Tim Davis
as Joe Crowell
Dix Davis
as Si Crowell
Dan White
as Wedding Guest
Charles Trowbridge
as Reverend
View All

Critic Reviews for Our Town

All Critics (7) | Fresh (6) | Rotten (1)

View All Critic Reviews (7)

Audience Reviews for Our Town

  • Oct 15, 2018
    In these days of "Make America Great Again" it's eye-opening to reflect that in 1940 Thornton Wilder won a Pulitzer ruminating on exactly the same premise (perhaps proving that society will always imagine that it's best days are behind it while incapable to see ahead). The good ol' days dwelt on herein are the turn-of-the-last-century. What's good about that, you may ask? Well, for one, a dog could sleep in the middle of Main Street all day and not be disturbed, the film suggests. An all star cast of character actors fill in the slots of homey, homespun, saccharine goodness while William Holden does his best shy and awkward.
    Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
  • Jan 30, 2014
    Our Town is one of the best plays that I have seen executed on stage. Evidently, we weren't ready for a good screen adaptation in 1940. Despite the best efforts by William Holden, Thornton Wilder's original vision is lost.
    John B Super Reviewer
  • Sep 05, 2010
    What a sentimental, sappy, silly movie. You understand the ideas they're trying to convey almost half way through, but they keep beating you over the head with them anyway. This movie got on my nerves.
    Aj V Super Reviewer
See all Audience reviews

Our Town Quotes

View All Quotes

Movie & TV guides