"Best Years" won 7 Academy Awards in 1947 and it is preserved in the Library of Congress. It only lost the award for Best Sound. The American Film Institute included in 3 times in its top 100 movie lists. The producer, Samuel Goldwyn received the Irving Thalberg Award, a special honor for outstanding work in production. Harold Russell was given a Special Oscar® "for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans." Obviously this film had a large impact on the general audience, critics, and other actors of the time. --Amanda Russell

"Best Years" won 7 Academy Awards in 1947 and it is preserved in the Library of Congress. It only lost the award for Best Sound. The American Film Institute included in 3 times in its top 100 movie lists. The producer, Samuel Goldwyn received the Irving Thalberg Award, a special honor for outstanding work in production. Harold Russell was given a Special Oscar® "for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans." '''Obviously this film had a large impact on the general audience, critics, and other actors of the time'''. --Amanda Russell

Harold Russell also won the Best Supporting Oscar (only person to win 2 oscars for the same role). William Wyler saw him in a documentary and actually rewrote the part especially for him. He was not an actor and like his character, he never saw combat, but it goes to show that men and women could be deeply affected and their lives forever changed without even needing to experience the terrors of actual battle or war, like those women who died in the WASPs or WACs or people who died or were disfigured in factories. I personally was touched (I cried at least twice) by the authenticity of Harold Russell's performance. --Jackie Reed

Harold Russell also won the Best Supporting Oscar (only person to win 2 oscars for the same role). William Wyler saw him in a documentary and actually rewrote the part especially for him. He was not an actor and like his character, he never saw combat, but it goes to show that men and women could be deeply affected and their lives forever changed without even needing to experience the terrors of actual battle or war, like those women who died in the WASPs or WACs or people who died or were disfigured in factories. I personally was touched (I cried at least twice) by the authenticity of Harold Russell's performance. --Jackie Reed