Dopo la gloria

Rented this Hallmark movie a while back, was intrigued by the plot. The story is about a group of American soldiers who saw heavy combat in Europe during World War II returning to their small Texas town in 1945. They then realize that a corrupt administration has taken over the city and that the mayor and other on-the-take officials are lining their pockets with war contracts and otherwise robbing those who served the country. It's true enough, for it was a legitimate post-war problem and returning vets did demand many changes from civil rights to reform government, but this film has too much banality to really make it work, from predictability involving the big climax to a sappy homecoming dialogue with a war widow. ("He said he was cold...and he loved you.") However there were some things to like, such as the mayor coming across not as a snarling villain but more of an overly friendly, ultra-politically minded good ol' boy who knows how to make the town run. There is also a nice montage with a homecoming parade set to the Pied Pipers song "Dream" which is one of the most bittersweet songs of World War II. So I give it about 6 stars. You may like it.