Ah, Wilderness! (film)

Ah, Wilderness! is a 1935 American comedy-drama film directed by Clarence Brown and starring Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore, Aline MacMahon, and Eric Linden. It is based on the 1933 play of the same name by Eugene O'Neill.

The film tells the story of a young man, Richard Miller (Eric Linden), growing up in a small Connecticut town in 1906. Over the Fourth of July holiday, Richard experiences the pangs of first love, struggles with his idealistic views of the world against the backdrop of societal expectations, and navigates the complexities of family life.

The film is a relatively lighthearted and nostalgic depiction of Americana, a contrast to some of O'Neill's darker and more experimental works. It explores themes of adolescence, family relationships, love, and the transition from childhood to adulthood. The setting of small-town America at the turn of the century contributes to the film's idyllic and sentimental tone. The film received critical acclaim and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Adaptation.