Of Mice and Men
1939 · Movie · PG · 106 min · ★ 7.3 · 95% critics
During the Great Depression, two traveling farmhands take jobs at a remote ranch while clinging to a shared dream of a better life. As tensions rise among the workers and the boss’s family, loyalty and compassion are tested in a harsh world where small mistakes can have big consequences.
Based on Of Mice and Men
Where to watch
Streaming on HBO Max.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 1939
- Release date
- 1939-12-24
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Critic score
- 95/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.3/10 (103 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a classic, emotionally heavy Depression-era drama about friendship, loneliness, and fragile dreams, especially if you liked The Grapes of Wrath; Not for you if you avoid tragedies or very bleak stories.
Pros: faithful Steinbeck adaptation; powerful lead performances; moving, poignant drama | Cons: stagey, theatrical feel; heavy-handed dialogue; relentlessly bleak tone
Themes
- california
- based on novel or book
- ranch
- great depression
- drifter
- migrant worker
Awards & recognition
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- Academy Award — Best Picture · 1940 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Original Score · 1940 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Sound · 1940 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Score, Adaptation or Treatment · nominated
Cast & crew
Burgess Meredith
as George Milton
Lon Chaney Jr.
as Lennie Small
Betty Field
as Mae
Charles Bickford
as Slim
Roman Bohnen
as Candy
Bob Steele
as Curley
Noah Beery Jr.
as Whit
Oscar O'Shea
as Jackson
Granville Bates
as Carlson
Leigh Whipper
as Crooks
Directed by Lewis Milestone