“I have a feeling this is not going to be my favorite war.” —Walt Dreiser
Today’s quick review: My Foolish Heart. Seven years into a loveless marriage with Lew Wengler (Kent Smith), Eloise Winters (Susan Hayward) receives a visit from Mary Jane (Lois Wheeler), an estranged friend from college. Seeing her friend stirs up old, painful memories in Eloise, taking her back to New York City at the outbreak of World War II. There Eloise met the love of her life: Walt Dreiser (Dana Andrews).
My Foolish Heart is a classic romantic drama about a woman trapped in a failing marriage by the cruelty of fate and her own choices. Susan Hayward and Dana Andrews star as a young couple in 1941, whose relationship immediately runs into trouble due to personal misfortune and the looming prospect of war. Tragedy, heartache, and hard choices make My Foolish Heart a sober drama that asks difficult questions about youth, love, and sacrifice.
My Foolish Heart plays out like a puzzle where the picture is known but the pieces are not. Even from early on, the audience has clues about where Walt and Eloise’s relationship will end up. But the movie does a good job of going there step by step, gradually subjecting Eloise to more and more stress until she reaches the breaking point. The trap the movie lays for her is clever, and seeing it play out gives the movie much of its weight.
Still, My Foolish Heart does not have the subtlety or insight of the best romantic dramas. Eloise and Walt are an imperfect match, straddling the line between storybook romance and youthful delusion. The friction between them plays into the movie’s themes, but it also damages its appeal as a romance. My Foolish Heart works well at an intellectual level, but it isn’t as skilled at manipulating the audience’s emotions as other movies in the same vein.
My Foolish Heart makes for a solid romantic drama and worthy pick for fans of the genre. It misses the chance to be something superlative and haunting, but it still manages to hold its own as a study of an ill-fated fling. Fans of older movies who are in the mood for something more serious should give it a shot. Those looking for a light comedy or something that leaves more of a lasting impression may want to look elsewhere.
For a historical drama that delves deeper into the consequences of a young woman’s hard choices, try Gone with the Wind. For a modern romantic drama with some of the same heartache, try The Notebook, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, or Dear John. For a classic romantic drama about a failing marriage that has even more tragedy, try Penny Serenade.
[6.9 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041672/). I give it a 7.0 for effective drama.