I grew-up in a working-class town much like the one depicted in this movie, and I was the product of a large Irish-Catholic family. I realize this movie is probably rather corny, especially by today's standards, but I always feel a strong sense of identification with the Sullivans. I have five brothers, and several of them have the same names as the brothers in this movie.
This was one of those movies that my family watched on a yearly basis, and seeing it recently after many years brought back many memories. It is really a family picture rather than a war movie, but the ending does bring 'home' the huge price we all pay during a crisis.