"Only Yesterday" is a film that never could have played in theaters just a year later in the USA. This is because the tough new production code would come into effect in mid-1934 and many plot elements from movies would disappear or only be alluded to...vaguely. In this case, the story is about a one night stand and a child that resulted from that...and even with substantial edits, I cannot imagine it playing for some time!
Shortly after the story begins, Mary (Margaret Sullavan) learns that she is pregnant. While being single and pregnant in 1917 is tough, at least she has a man who loves her and wants to marry her. But he's called off the war before Mary can tell Jim (John Boles). And, when he returns you realize that Mary is a bit delusional. He doesn't remember her at all and she was apparently a one-night stand...and so she continues raising the child herself. Later, Mary meets Jim at a party....and it seems he's just a creep who wants to score...and still has no notion that they've ever met. So, more time passes. But now, Mary is deathly ill...so what's going to happen next?
The basic premise of the film is flawed. I think having Mary create this dream in her head that Jim will return from the war and they will get married makes Mary seem a bit loopy. I think instead, if they'd gone out a few times and he had given her reason to believe he'd be there...then the story would have made much more sense. Fortunately, the final portion helps make the story better. It makes more sense and is quite powerful. Well worth seeing but also flawed.
Shortly after the story begins, Mary (Margaret Sullavan) learns that she is pregnant. While being single and pregnant in 1917 is tough, at least she has a man who loves her and wants to marry her. But he's called off the war before Mary can tell Jim (John Boles). And, when he returns you realize that Mary is a bit delusional. He doesn't remember her at all and she was apparently a one-night stand...and so she continues raising the child herself. Later, Mary meets Jim at a party....and it seems he's just a creep who wants to score...and still has no notion that they've ever met. So, more time passes. But now, Mary is deathly ill...so what's going to happen next?
The basic premise of the film is flawed. I think having Mary create this dream in her head that Jim will return from the war and they will get married makes Mary seem a bit loopy. I think instead, if they'd gone out a few times and he had given her reason to believe he'd be there...then the story would have made much more sense. Fortunately, the final portion helps make the story better. It makes more sense and is quite powerful. Well worth seeing but also flawed.