The Impatient Years (1944)

In the somber halls of a divorce court, Sergeant Andy Anderson and Janie Anderson find themselves pleading their case before a stern judge, seeking to untie the knot of their marriage. Despite their earnest pleas, Janie's father, William Smith, vehemently objects, and the judge grants him the floor to share his own interpretation of the couple's love story. Only fifteen months prior, the pair had ignited a whirlwind romance in the foggy city of San Francisco. Their connection was so intense that, after a mere three days, they pledged their lives to one another in matrimony. However, the war had other plans and Andy was abruptly shipped off overseas, leaving a pregnant Janie behind. Upon his return, they discover that the bond they once shared has faded into the shadows of unfamiliarity. In a unique twist of fate, Mr. Smith proposes—and the judge sanctions—a peculiar solution: by recreating their four-day courtship, they might rekindle the flame that once burned brightly. The journey takes them back to the humble coffee counter where their love story began, and their attempt to relive their past sparks suspicion at the hotel they once called their honeymoon suite. The couple's antics, including a second wedding officiated by the same minister and attended by his wife, grow increasingly absurd. A dining mishap leads to a misunderstanding where Andy is accused of attempted poisoning, and a misguided attempt to cure Janie's hiccups results in a frantic call to Mr. Smith, who rushes to the scene with military police, only to find Andy seemingly suffocating Janie with a pillow. In the ensuing chaos, Andy is committed to a hospital, and as Janie unravels the truth to her father, they hurriedly rush to his side, only to find him discharged and vanished. Their love story, once written in the stars, now hangs in the balance, riddled with uncertainty.

The Impatient Years is a comedy movie featuring Jean Arthur.

The Impatient Years is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.