Edna Gladney was a true inspiration, very ahead of her time and a pioneering figure in the adoption and nursery care field, with a great story worth telling. 'Blossoms in the Dust' is very notable for being the first of eight pairings with Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon, both fine actors with a legendary partnership at the time. Mervyn LeRoy did do his fair share of great films, especially 'Random Harvest', 'Gold Diggers of 1933' and 'Waterloo Bridge'.
'Blossoms in the Dust' is a beautifully made, beautifully acted and intelligently written film. It is not perfect, but it manages to make the subject accessible, inspiring and worth investing in, at the time where biopic-like films could be too dry and conventional. 'Blossoms in the Dust' also does very well in showing how great a woman in her field Gladney was, while still making her a real person/character and not just an icon. While LeRoy and Pidgeon did even better work than this, Garson's role here for me is one of her best.
It is a shame that the early tragedies weren't dwelled upon enough, near glossed over and too come and go. It is good that the film didn't want to be too serious, but the early tragedies in my mind are crucial to how Gladney came to be the way she became and it would have provided even more depth.
Maybe there could have been fewer characters, figuring out who was who with the children was not always easy.
However, 'Blossoms in the Dust' is a gorgeous looking film, espeically the sumptuous interiors and the Technicolor which is the epitome of first rate. The music is stirring and richly orchestrated, without being excessively melodramatic. LeRoy directs with utmost professionalism and class throughout and never lets things get dull or dry. The acting is very good, while the supporting cast are all dependable with Felix Bressart and dignified Marsha Hunt standouts Pidgeon and especially Garson make more memorable impressions. Pidgeon is a charming presence but this is Garson's film, a nuanced and bold performance that never rings false and wholly successful in making Gladney come over as a real person and not a caricature.
The script is intelligent and sincere, that climactic speech is uplifting and makes one want to stand up and cheer but it is also a tear-jerker. The truly inspirational line "there are no illegitimate children. There are only illegitimate parents" is a line for the ages. The story is always engaging and beautifully told, it has such a warm heart and upbeat quality, while also being very moving without being over-sentimental and compassionately respectful to Gladney, her trials and her achievements. It is not an easy subject to make interesting if one has no prior knowledge about Gladney and her pioneering work, but her story is told accessibly and being someone who has had to overcome a lot it inspired me greatly. It warmed my heart and moved me too, especially later on.
Concluding, very, very good and blossoms in its beauty. 8/10.
