Of Mice and Men (1939)

Of Mice and Men is a 1939 American drama film based on the 1937 play, which was based on the novel of the same title, by American author John Steinbeck. It stars Burgess Meredith, Betty Field, and Lon Chaney Jr., and features Charles Bickford, Roman Bohnen, Bob Steele, and Noah Beery Jr.

Plot
Two migrant field workers in California during the Great Depression, George Milton (Burgess Meredith), an intelligent and quick-witted man (despite his frequent claims of being "not that smart"), and Lennie Small (Lon Chaney Jr.), an ironically-named man of large stature and immense strength who, due to his mental disability, has a mind of a young child, hope to one day attain their shared dream of settling down on their own piece of land.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Stays faithful to the original story.
 * 2) Great music score by Aaron Copland.
 * 3) Several memorable characters such as Lennie Small.
 * 4) Great acting.
 * 5) George and Lennie's relationship with each other is very emotional.
 * 6) Has a lot of emotional and touching scenes.
 * 7) The film has new elements that weren’t in the original story to make it more unique.
 * 8) Great set designs.
 * 9) The writing is solid.

The Only Bad Quality

 * 1) Some dark moments every now and then.

Reception
Of Mice and Men was met with positive reviews when it first released, and is still favorably received today. It is one of the few films on Rotten Tomatoes to have a critic approval rating of 100%.