Since You Went Away
A steadfast mother holds her Midwestern household together through wartime shortages while her daughters face the emotional costs of love and separation.
Overview
A poignant tale of love and resilience during wartime, where homefront struggles intertwine with unexpected romance.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- sentimental
- earnest
- wistful
- classic hollywood evening
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly valued the strong performances and emotional accessibility but found the film overlong, overly sentimental, and aesthetically conservative.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Anne Hilton manages shortages, finances, and family responsibilities while her husband serves overseas.
The long runtime and emphasis on loneliness, anxiety, maternal restraint, and romantic loss create an overtly sentimental register.
The Hilton household is framed as an exemplary American home carrying out its wartime responsibilities.
Jane's love affair with a young soldier unfolds under the pressure of World War II absence and danger.
Films like Since You Went Away, and why
The Best Years of Our Lives
home-front wartime drama centered on family endurance, separation, and romantic uncertainty
Mrs. Miniver
sentimental World War II-era romance combining domestic sacrifice, social class, and emotional restraint
The White Cliffs of Dover
period family melodrama about women sustaining a household during wartime absence
Movie Details
- Director
- John Cromwell
- Release Date
- 1944-06-30
- Runtime
- 177 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (56)
Cast
- Claudette Colbert
- Jennifer Jones
- Joseph Cotten
- Shirley Temple
- Monty Woolley
- Lionel Barrymore
- Robert Walker
- Hattie McDaniel
- Agnes Moorehead
- Alla Nazimova
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Since You Went Away about?
- A steadfast mother holds her Midwestern household together through wartime shortages while her daughters face the emotional costs of love and separation.
- What is Since You Went Away like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Since You Went Away as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Since You Went Away violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Since You Went Away.
- What did critics think of Since You Went Away?
- Critics broadly valued the strong performances and emotional accessibility but found the film overlong, overly sentimental, and aesthetically conservative.
- Which films are like Since You Went Away?
- Films with a similar feel include The Best Years of Our Lives, Mrs. Miniver, and The White Cliffs of Dover.
- How long is Since You Went Away?
- Since You Went Away runs 177 minutes.
- Where can I watch Since You Went Away?
- In United States, Since You Went Away is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video.
