While Huston concentrates on saving souls, Stewart is more practical. He wants to save the living, by becoming a doctor. He works hard, but depends upon his mother's financial sacrifices on his behalf, which he repays with neglect.
How others will see it. This interesting film offers several themes. These will soon be discussed further, but can be summarized as "The Strong-Willed Father," "Young Man Makes Good," and "The Ungrateful Son." These themes are powerful enough that even casual viewers can't help but notice them, but the quality of the storytelling is sufficient that few will feel they are receiving "Davey and Goliath"-style moralizing.
Beyond the moderately compelling story, classic film enthusiasts are also given a banquet of familiar faces within the cast. Dependable Charles Coburn plays the world's nicest failed doctor. Guy Kibbee is a grasping merchant, with "Winnie the Pooh" voice Sterling Holloway as his mischeivous son. Gene Lockhart plays a janitor with an unusually broad knowledge of Greek, Latin, and medicine. Charley Grapewin plays (what else) a somewhat eccentric old coot. John Carradine depicts President Lincoln in an unlikely (more on this later) but nonetheless charming scene. Best of all is Walter Huston, although a young Jimmy Stewart is the film's star during its second half. Stewart's role is less than fully heroic, but it has to be remembered that Stewart only became a star after Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
was released in 1939.
It has to be said that Of Human Hearts is a black and white film, and its antique look will not cut it with the channel-surfing crowd. It is a good movie, but it will never be trendy.
How I felt about it. Of Human Hearts is principally about the conflict between father and son. Huston believes that sacrifice is a part (and perhaps the purpose) of missionary work. Stewart wants a wordly existence complete with food and clothing worthy of his station. Both prove to be good men, but they have troubling seeing the good in each other. Stewart sees his father as an unfairly strict man who wants his son to eat rotten food and dress in rags. Huston sees his son as an ungrateful and selfish man who stubbornly refuses to mend his disrespectful attitude.
The irony, of course, is that Stewart in a few years as a Civil War surgeon does more good than his uncompromising father could accomplish in his entire career. Stewart saves countless lives and limbs, and works as hard as his father ever did, but is condemned by President Lincoln himself because he has neglected to write home to his worrying, poverty-stricken mother. You'd think Lincoln would have better things to do with his time than to pull surgeons from the front line and lecture them about their private family matters.