Of Mice and Men
Two itinerant ranch workers cling to a fragile dream of independence as friendship collides with poverty, vulnerability, and an unforgiving world.
Overview
A poignant tale of friendship and dreams amidst the harsh realities of the Great Depression.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- austere
- poignant
- classic cinema evening
- literary adaptation night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Lewis Milestone's faithful Steinbeck adaptation as forceful, poignant, and exceptionally well acted.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
George and Lennie move from ranch job to ranch job during the Great Depression, relying on unstable wages and temporary shelter.
George acts as Lennie's caretaker and repeatedly manages the consequences of Lennie's trusting, impulsive behavior.
George and Lennie's hope of owning a small ranch and raising rabbits offers an escape from itinerant ranch labor.
The black-and-white cinematography and ranch environments reinforce the film's austere Depression-era atmosphere.
Films like Of Mice and Men, and why
The Grapes of Wrath
shared depression-era social realism, migrant labor setting, and compassionate tragic drama
The Ox-Bow Incident
shared working-class hardship, rural american setting, and emotionally devastating moral conflict
The Night of the Hunter
shared literary adaptation, intimate humanism, and bleak examination of vulnerable outsiders
The Good Earth
shared dust bowl-era poverty, itinerant labor, and poignant friendship under economic pressure
Movie Details
- Director
- Lewis Milestone
- Release Date
- 1939-12-24
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (106)
Cast
- Burgess Meredith
- Lon Chaney Jr.
- Betty Field
- Charles Bickford
- Roman Bohnen
- Bob Steele
- Noah Beery Jr.
- Oscar O'Shea
- Granville Bates
- Leigh Whipper
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Artiflix
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Of Mice and Men about?
- Two itinerant ranch workers cling to a fragile dream of independence as friendship collides with poverty, vulnerability, and an unforgiving world.
- What is Of Mice and Men like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Of Mice and Men as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Of Mice and Men violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Of Mice and Men as mild.
- What did critics think of Of Mice and Men?
- Critics broadly regard Lewis Milestone's faithful Steinbeck adaptation as forceful, poignant, and exceptionally well acted.
- Which films are like Of Mice and Men?
- Films with a similar feel include The Grapes of Wrath, The Ox-Bow Incident, The Night of the Hunter, and The Good Earth.
- How long is Of Mice and Men?
- Of Mice and Men runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch Of Mice and Men?
- In United States, Of Mice and Men streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Artiflix.
