William Wyler directed this Best Picture Academy Award winner about life in middle class England during the early stages of World War II. The stories of two families are chronicled, and, to a lesser extent, the town in which they live. The film had a phenomenal impact on audiences of the day. It helps to know that this film was made in 1942, years before the close of the war, and it retains most of its impact today. In particular, the bomb shelter scene is simply amazing.