NR | 1 h 22 mins | Romance, Comedy | 1950
Perhaps no other event in world history has been the basis of as many films as World War II. Since the war happened during Hollywood’s Golden Era, hundreds of movies were made while the war lasted. In the second half of the 1940s and the early 1950s, many films were made about the aftermath, which returning veterans experienced.
Post-War Trauma
David Maldon (Van Johnson) is graduating from law school at the top of his class. As is customary, a prestigious law firm hires him since he is the highest-ranking graduate. Maldon has just one problem. Since he fought in World War II, he was able to get his law degree through the GI Bill.A side effect of his service is that he still is haunted by a trauma-induced mental disorder. If he has even a sip of alcohol, he becomes extremely intoxicated. The effects of this psychosomatic intoxication only last a few minutes, but it’s very embarrassing and frustrating for him.
The reason his post-traumatic stress disorder involves alcohol is that he almost drowned in a monastery cellar where barrels of brandy were kept; the cellar was bombed, and he was up to his chin in brandy for 14 hours.
Mary Belney (Elizabeth Taylor), daughter of the firm’s senior law partner, John Belney (Percy Waram), takes an interest in Maldon’s problem because she has studied psychoanalysis. She is determined to cure him of his psychological drunkenness so that he can drink or not drink as he wishes without fear or danger. It doesn’t prove to be as easy as she had thought, but in the process of trying to cure him, they grow very fond of each other.
Law With a Purpose
The legal profession is equal to the medical profession in terms of prestige and wealth. It takes a lot of time and money to acquire the needed education, of course, but once you make it, you’re guaranteed a life of financial ease, at least according to the media.“The Big Hangover” is about a young man who decides to become a lawyer for a very different reason than hopes of financial gain. During the time Mary Belney tries to help him overcome his “liquor recoil,” he practices his commencement speech on her. In the speech, he explains why he decided to study law.
Another member of Maldon’s bomber crew during the war, who became his best friend, died in his arms. Since the friend had planned to become a lawyer, Maldon follows his father’s wise words about the importance of the legal profession for preserving American freedom and he decides to go in his friend’s place. Maldon grows to love legal studies and excels in them in memory of his deceased friend.
Complex Characters
If someone ever says to you that no one cared about fair treatment for minorities in the mid-20th century, mention “The Big Hangover.” This movie shows that Americans have understood the importance of equal rights for everyone for generations. There never has been, and never will be, a time when every American lives up to our country’s ideals, as many prejudiced characters in this story illustrate. However, it’s wrong to think that people didn’t care about Chinese Americans or other ethnicities in the 1950s.I was shocked that this movie is only 82 minutes. I’ve watched it twice, and it’s hard to believe it’s that short. The characters are multifaceted, and there are many different themes and subplots. The complexity of the story and the engaging pacing make the film so entertaining that no more time is needed.
