The movie portrays the experiences of the "Gibbons" family—Ethel (Celia Johnson), Frank (Robert Newton), daughters Queenie (Kay Walsh), Vi (Eileen Erskine), and son Reg (John Blythe)—along with Ethel's mother, Mrs. Flint (Amy Veness), who also lived with them. Their existence is fairly straightforward, happily settled in a new suburban area with a garden while their children move into adulthood, navigating the everyday routines familiar to everyone. This simplicity contributes significantly to the film’s appeal. Each character has their own narrative thread, and the episodic way they develop allows for a concise look at different phases of their lives. Both sorrowful events and joyful moments occur, but David Lean avoids dwelling on these incidents or exploring their consequences. Instead, each segment concludes (or is temporarily set aside), and the story progresses—it feels almost like entries in a daily journal. A comedic tone runs through the script, enhanced by performances from Stanley Holloway as neighbor Bob and Alison Leggatt as Johnson’s dramatically inclined sister Sylvia, providing a commentary on a period when traditional British customs were adjusting, or resisting, post-WWI realities and shifting political views. The film begins with a commemoration of the end of the Great War, showing soldiers from victorious countries marching in London, moving through King George V's death to the early signs of WWII, making for a touching, occasionally profound, and captivating journey. The characters—particularly Newton and Walsh—grow convincingly, though not necessarily in an entirely mature way, and it’s easy to feel sympathy for Johnson’s grounded practicality over the twenty years shown here. The plot is ordinary, deliberately mirroring everyday life with an authenticity that feels genuine (they switch from gas lamps to electricity, even acquire a gramophone). It can be slow at times but remains consistently engaging—a pleasant film to view. I did find myself thinking that perhaps they could have put up some wallpaper more frequently during the final scene, though.

Source on TMDB