One of the two great film critics America produced (the other of course being the very different Pauline Kael) said that to criticise this terrible movie in detail would be like sneering at a sincere, well-meaning family with terrible taste (not just in clothes or books, but everything, including social relations). At that he was too kind, for the grossly aggressive sentimentality and cuteness in the movie were clearly not innocent but were deliberately inflicted on the audience by the filmmakers for commercial purposes.You don't have to have Agee's perceptiveness and honesty, certainly not more than 70 years later, to wince, for instance, at Charles Winninger (unbearably cutesy at the best of times) being constantly called "Grandfeathers" instead of Grandfather. This kind of thing actually undermines (for intelligent people, anyway) the warmth and sentimentality desired. It shows that the movie is not really sweet and unaffected but extremely aggressive: Listen to how cute this is! Fall into line! This movie wants you to say "Aah!" more often than you do at the dentist, and to smile more often than a Miss America contestant. Avoid.

There's something sentimental about the years of World War II, a war where world peace was at stake and 90 percent of the world gathered together to fight against three tyrants who wanted to take over and destroy civilization altogether. Motion picture footage, popular music and still photography document the romantic side of this horrible war which killed possibly billions of innocent young men and civilians on both sides. It's probably the one war in history that young men went in eager, even if reluctantly, to wipe out fascism and restore order to a world gone wild.In 1944 alone, movie goers got an abundance of touching stories of how war affects the home, from the lengthy but outstanding "Since You Went Away", the tear-jerker romance "I'll Be Seeing You" and the tragic "The Sullivans", as well as all-star musicals like "Hollywood Canteen" and "Four Jills in a Jeep" which showed how celebrities were getting involved to "entertain the boys both over there and at home". The majority of the world played cheerleader to the millions of soldiers fighting for home, the girl (or boy) they loved, giving them encouragement that they would have something to return to when the war was finally over."Sunday Dinner For a Soldier" documents how a struggling poor family on the coast of Florida went out of their way to make an effort to participate in the tradition of inviting visiting military personnel over for dinner to help remind them of what remained back at home while they were on active duty. Anne Baxter is the struggling older sister of four children, and living with them is their irascible grandfather (a wonderful Charles Winninger) who is trying to avoid unwanted attentions by the much married town matriarch (Anne Revere). After Revere maliciously rips up Winninger's request for soldiers to attend Sunday dinner as their guests, she has second thoughts when she comes across two of the children selling berries in an effort to raise money for the dinner.Chill Wills is delightful as the local bus driver who escorts visiting soldiers all around the town and provides kindly words of wisdom to his riders. Jane Darwell plays the head of the committee arranging these dinners and is bombarded with late night phone calls by Revere inquiring if she's found at least one soldier to attend. By the time Sunday shows up, it appears that nobody will appear, leaving Baxter, Winninger and the three spunky children all depressed. But miracles happen, and in this case, it's in the form of handsome John Hodiak who happens along the beach near the houseboat where the family resides.There's a ton of luscious subplots galore, including one corny but adorable storyline involving the kid's pet hen whom Winninger hates and presumably plucks and beheads in preparation for that Sunday dinner with the unknown soldier. Baxter plays a hard character on the surface but obviously dreams of romance as evidenced in a scene where she dances in the abandoned facade of a long destroyed building which resembles ancient Greek or Roman ruins. Later, she repeats the dance with Hodiak who is so kind and a perfect representation of the type of young man any family would love to have as a visitor during a time of war, or even peace. Like the other romantic war films I mention above, this has a bit of a tear-jerking finale that shows off the American propaganda machine at its best. Yet, it is filled with hope, which is all America could ask for as the war reached its last year.

It's only when the movie is over you 'll realize how deeply moving this very simple story is.A propaganda movie,it certainly is ,but a good propaganda movie which speaks to the heart .In those WW2 trouble times , a poor family is preparing a Sunday dinner for a guest : a soldier on furlough who will be back to the front after these fleeting moments of happiness.It's just a joy to see this family give all they have (and it is not much) to treat their guest like a member of their family ,with a little help from their neighbor.Ann Baxter and John Hodiak are a good romantic couple and their meeting when she's dancing alone is a good moment .Like this? try this...."Babettes Gaestebud" (Babette's feast),Gabriel Axel,1987

I saw this in original release as a teenager. Ann Baxter and John Hodiak were later married, I think they fell in love while making this movie. This flick is so heartwarming, it has everything - humor, romance, family values, and yes...dialogue!The last scene when Hodiak goes back to camp and on to war is so good. As he gets on the bus, he's holding a picture of himself taken with those that took him in for the holiday. Answering another soldier's question, he says THIS IS MY FAMILY! You know he's going to come back after the war and marry Baxter's character.See it if you can. We've got to get this on DVD or VHS.