All That Heaven Allows (1955)

An upper-class widow falls in love with a much younger, down-to-earth nurseryman, much to the disapproval of her children and criticism of her country club peers.

Director:

Douglas Sirk

Writers:

Peg Fenwick (screenplay), Edna L. Lee (story),

Stars:

Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Agnes Moorehead

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jane Wyman	...	Cary Scott
Rock Hudson	...	Ron Kirby
Agnes Moorehead	...	Sara Warren
Conrad Nagel	...	Harvey
Virginia Grey	...	Alida
Gloria Talbott	...	Kay
William Reynolds	...	Ned
Charles Drake	...	Mick Anderson
Hayden Rorke	...	Dr. Hennessy
Jacqueline deWit	...	Mona Plash (as Jacqueline de Wit)
Leigh Snowden	...	Jo-Ann
Donald Curtis	...	Howard Hoffer
Alex Gerry	...	George Warren
Nestor Paiva	...	Manuel
Forrest Lewis	...	Mr. Weeks

Storyline

Cary Scott is a widow with two grown children. She's been leading a quiet life since her husband died, socializing with a small circle of friends. Her children no longer live with her full-time but come home every weekend. She's not unhappy but also doesn't realize how bored she is. Her friend Sara Warren encourages he to get a television set to keep her company but she doesn't want that either. She develops a friendship with Ron Kirby who owns his own nursery and comes every spring and fall to trim her trees. Ron is much younger than she and their friendship soon turns to love. Her circle of friends are surprised that she is seeing such a younger man and she might be prepared to overlook that - Ron certainly doesn't care about the differences in their ages - but when her son and daughter vehemently object, she decides to sacrifice her own feelings for their happiness. Over time however, she realizes that her children will be spending less and less time with her as they pursue their ...

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Plot Keywords:

widow | tree | country club | gossip | new england | 

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Taglines:

How much does Heaven Allow a Woman in Love?

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 December 1955 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Tout ce que le ciel permet

Filming Locations:

Circle Drive, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor and Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The house Jane Wyman's character lives in (on Universal's "Colonial Street" backlot) was built by on rented Universal property by Paramount Pictures for 1955's "Desperate Hours"; Universal left it standing after filming, altering its appearance for "All That Heaven Allows." Four years later, it was altered again, for use as the house of the Cleaver family in TV's "Leave it to Beaver," beginning with the show's move from CBS to ABC for the 1959 season. The house continued as the Cleaver house until the end of the series in 1962, but was known at Universal as the "Paramount House," not the "Cleaver House."

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Goofs

Carrie's son, Ned, mixes martinis for his mother and her date, Harvey. Carrie tells Harvey, "NEED mixed them especially for you" (not "Ned").

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Quotes

[Howard passionately but forcefully kisses Cary, she pushes him away]
Howard Hoffer: I'm sorry Cary. I don't know what got into me. I know you're not like that. I apologize for what I said.
Cary Scott: That's all right, Howard.
Howard Hoffer: But I don't apologize for wanting you.

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Connections

Remade as Far from Heaven (2002)

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Soundtracks

"Joy to the World"
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Isaac Watts
Music by Lowell Mason

User Reviews

Ahead Of Its Time

Cary Scott (Jane Wyman) is a middle-aged, wealthy woman whose husband recently died. Ron Kirby (Rock Hudson) is Cary's younger, independent-minded landscape gardener. Ron reads Thoreau, respects nature, and values simplicity and honesty. Cary and Ron are attracted to each other. For Ron, marriage to Cary is an easy decision. But for Cary, the decision to marry Ron is harder. She must confront the disapproval of her grown children, and the disapproval of friends whose materialistic, country club values are inconsistent with the values of Thoreau.

In a town where people know each other's business, tongues wag. Feelings get hurt. Conflict erupts. The film's subdued lighting and vivid colors, combined with soft piano and velvety violin background music, create a tone that is sad and sentimental. Viewers are right to say that this Douglas Sirk directed film is a melodramatic soap opera.

Thinly veiled behind the simple plot, however, lies a profound message: "to thine own self be true". It is a message totally out of sync with 1950's America. Yet, the message would surface a decade later as the 1960's youth mantra: "do your own thing".

As an archetype, Ron seems too pure. And Cary's children and friends, shallow, selfish, vain, gossipy, and judgmental, are easy to dislike. This sharp dichotomy is somewhat unrealistic. But it gets the point across. And that point is a blistering indictment of 1950's American materialism and mindless conformity.

The film was thus ahead of its time. Despite its high technical quality, it was snubbed by the Oscars. In retrospect, "All That Heaven Allows" is superior to all five of the Oscar best picture nominees from that year. And its message is just as relevant now as it was fifty years ago.