A Week Of Remembrance
In the opening scenes, we are given a picture of England on the brink of W.W.II. We are introduced to Mrs. Miniver as she enjoys a day of shopping in London, her greatest worry how to hide her extravagant hat purchase from her husband, Clem. We are also introduced to a couple of other key characters; on the train ride home to Belham, Mrs. Miniver meets Lady Beldon, the crusty and class- conscious local aristocrat. Upon disembarking, she also has a conversation with Belham's stationmaster Mr. Ballard. In his spare time, Ballard grows roses, and he has bred a beautiful rose which he plans to enter in the annual flower show. He asks Mrs. Miniver for permission to name the rose after her, and she delightedly accepts. We are now acquainted with all three classes: Lady Beldon representing the upper class, Mr. Ballard from the working class, and middle class Mrs. Miniver bridging the gap between the two.
Of course, they are not the only ones to have lost someone in the air raid- many have been killed, including Mr. Ballard the stationmaster, and much of the village lies in ruin.