1918

Meticulous slice-of-life drama by playwright Horton Foote about his parents (William Converse-Roberts and Hallie Foote) and their lives in a small Texas town near the end of the First World War. The details of everyday life and the interaction between the characters are what's important here, as Foote's father may have to go off to fight, while the Spanish influenza epidemic rages in the background, eventually leading to tragedy. A young Matthew Broderick -- before his success on Broadway or as "Ferris Bueller" (though after "Wargames") -- also appears as the scheming character, Brother.

Incidentally -- if it seems as though there's a part of this story that's already happened but that you haven't been told about, there's a good reason: This film is a companion to "On Valentine's Day," and the two films plus additional footage also made up a five-hour series (originally produced for PBS' "American Playhouse") called "Story of a Marriage." See the whole drama as opposed to the two set-pieces if you can.