There's an undeniable sense of comfort to be found within the story being told, even though it’s fairly unremarkable, about the lives of people living in a small New Hampshire town where horses are still commonly used instead of cars. Another thing that stands out is the sheer number of churches; nearly every religious group seems to have a presence, and these institutions appear to be central to the character of the community's generally respectable inhabitants. The town pharmacist, “Morgan” (played by Frank Craven), recounts this history, guiding us through the experiences and relationships of the Webb and Gibb families as the twentieth century progresses. "Emily" (Martha Scott) is a lively young woman who lives next door to "George" (William Holden), whose interests lie primarily in sports and his desire to inherit his uncle’s farm. It's around this time that a romance starts to develop between them. The film then moves on to two distinct sections, spaced about ten years apart, where we check in on the family and observe their town as it grows, while "Emily" questions whether she made all the right decisions. She isn’t unhappy, nor is her husband inadequate, but there's a feeling of being unfulfilled. This raises some interesting points regarding the constraints—whether directly imposed or stemming from societal expectations—faced by women at the beginning of the last century, as well as a more widespread absence of ambition among people who were materially comfortable yet lacked any real goals. The film succeeds in portraying this very ordinary existence, but it’s also true that it isn't particularly exciting to watch. There wasn't much spark between Holden and Scott, even when they were courting, and while the gentle narration does evoke some emotion, at times it feels like watching a time-lapse documentary—only with people instead of animals. We are all just parts of a larger system, and this illustrates how simply we rely on each other, but in a rather uninspired way.

Source on TMDB