Our Town

Sam Wood's 1940 American film, adapted from Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer-winning play, shows the daily life of a small town in New Hampshire at the start of the twentieth century. The story divides into three parts: daily life, marriage and death. The play's most radical quality on stage was being performed without sets, with a narrator speaking to the audience; the film keeps part of that, and the narrator figure remains. But a significant change was made in the final section and the play's harsh close was softened, the most argued-over aspect of the adaptation. Martha Scott's performance is strong. Aaron Copland's score is what distinguishes the film. Who it's for: viewers interested in classics of American theatre and period adaptations. Who it's not for: readers expecting the play's original ending, or anyone looking for plot.