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Mrs. Parkington is a 1944 drama directed by Tay Garnett and starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon and Edward Arnold. Set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the movie tells the story of Susie Parkington, a wealthy widow who reflects on her life, her marriages, and her relationships with her family and friends. The movie begins in the present day, as Mrs. Parkington, played by Garson, is preparing to leave her New York mansion to move closer to her beloved grandson, Amory (played by Richard Ney). As she walks through the empty rooms of her home, memories flood back to her, and the rest of the movie is a series of flashbacks that trace her life from her early days as a poor girl in Nevada to her rise to wealth and status as the wife of a powerful businessman, Augustus Parkington (played by Arnold).

In the first flashback, we see young Susie (played by Agnes Moorehead) working as a maid in a Nevada hotel. She catches the eye of a wealthy mine owner, Tom Parkington (played by Cecil Kellaway), who takes her under his wing and eventually marries her. The marriage is rocky, however, as Susie finds it difficult to fit in with Tom's family and friends, who look down on her because of her humble origins.

After Tom dies, Susie meets and marries his cousin, Augustus, a successful businessman who is also something of a boorish snob. Despite feeling out of place among Augustus's friends and associates, Susie is a devoted wife and mother to their three children, Amory, Alice (played by Kathryn Grayson), and Ned (played by Dean Harens).

But as the years go by, Susie's relationship with Augustus deteriorates, and she finds herself drawn to the dashing engineer, Bark Garroway (played by Pidgeon), who is working on a project for Augustus. Susie and Bark fall in love, but when Augustus finds out, he is furious and accuses Bark of trying to steal his wife. Bark is fired, and Susie is left alone and miserable.

In the final act of the movie, set in the present day, we see that Susie has made peace with her past and is looking forward to a new chapter in her life. She has decided to give her mansion to Amory and his new bride, and to move to a smaller home closer to them. As she leaves the house for the last time, she is surrounded by memories that are both joyful and painful, but ultimately she is at peace with the choices she has made.

Mrs. Parkington is a lavish, beautifully produced movie that features magnificent sets, costumes, and cinematography. The performances are uniformly excellent, particularly those of Garson, Pidgeon, and Arnold, who bring depth and nuance to their characters. Garson is particularly impressive, as she creates a layered and complex portrait of a woman who has lived a full and often difficult life.

At its core, Mrs. Parkington is a movie about love, class, and the conflict between tradition and change. It is a poignant and deeply satisfying film that reminds us of the power of memory and the importance of living a life that is true to our own hearts.

Mrs. Parkington is a 1944 drama with a runtime of 2 hours and 4 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.0.