I don't usually bother to write movie reviews, but I feel compelled to here. I was shocked that a best-picture Oscar winner could be as trite and boring as this one.
In defense of myself, let me first say: (1) I am no grouch. The same day I saw "Going My Way" (GMW), I happened to to re-see the wonderful "Captains Courageous" and cried throughout. I like Bing Crosby and found "The Bells of St Mary" (the one starring Crosby and Ingrid Bergman) to be immensely enjoyable, a zillion times better than GMW. I loved, and highly recommend, Leo McCarey's (the director of GMW) "An Affair to Remember" (starring Cary Grant).
(2) There were a few moments to like about GMW: the whole idea of a priest rescuing a neighborhood and church; the whole idea of Crosby being appointed to supersede/ease out Fitzgerald without the later realizing it; Crosby and Fitzgerald's acting and chemistry; the young man joining the war effort; and the reunion scene with the mother at the end (one of the most powerful/tearful scenes I have ever seen).
Other than those few scenes, there were no powerful, clever moments. Most of the music did nothing for me. A lot of what went on seemed scattered, unrelated, trite and too brief, too unconvincing. As one reviewer said, it was as though Crosby quickly waved a magic wand to get results, like easily/suddenly converting a street gang into a choir. On one hand, the film reminded me of those silly B-films of the period where they say, "hey, why not have a dance to raise money to...." On the other hand, there were hardly any moral/social/priestly problems that we see Crosby seriously/laboriously grappling with -- it is mostly singing, playing golf, eating and mingling with the upper crust (the moral of the movie seems to be: turn things over to a guy with good connections). He solves the runaway girl's problem with a $10 bill, for example. I don't know what he did for the elderly women tenant neighbors. Sorry, but I wanted to like it. I was all geared up to see a best-picture Oscar winner. And this film beat out "Double Indemnity" and "Laura" in a host of categories. Wow! To me it is merely a pleasant Crosby/Fitzgerald showcase.
In defense of myself, let me first say: (1) I am no grouch. The same day I saw "Going My Way" (GMW), I happened to to re-see the wonderful "Captains Courageous" and cried throughout. I like Bing Crosby and found "The Bells of St Mary" (the one starring Crosby and Ingrid Bergman) to be immensely enjoyable, a zillion times better than GMW. I loved, and highly recommend, Leo McCarey's (the director of GMW) "An Affair to Remember" (starring Cary Grant).
(2) There were a few moments to like about GMW: the whole idea of a priest rescuing a neighborhood and church; the whole idea of Crosby being appointed to supersede/ease out Fitzgerald without the later realizing it; Crosby and Fitzgerald's acting and chemistry; the young man joining the war effort; and the reunion scene with the mother at the end (one of the most powerful/tearful scenes I have ever seen).
Other than those few scenes, there were no powerful, clever moments. Most of the music did nothing for me. A lot of what went on seemed scattered, unrelated, trite and too brief, too unconvincing. As one reviewer said, it was as though Crosby quickly waved a magic wand to get results, like easily/suddenly converting a street gang into a choir. On one hand, the film reminded me of those silly B-films of the period where they say, "hey, why not have a dance to raise money to...." On the other hand, there were hardly any moral/social/priestly problems that we see Crosby seriously/laboriously grappling with -- it is mostly singing, playing golf, eating and mingling with the upper crust (the moral of the movie seems to be: turn things over to a guy with good connections). He solves the runaway girl's problem with a $10 bill, for example. I don't know what he did for the elderly women tenant neighbors. Sorry, but I wanted to like it. I was all geared up to see a best-picture Oscar winner. And this film beat out "Double Indemnity" and "Laura" in a host of categories. Wow! To me it is merely a pleasant Crosby/Fitzgerald showcase.