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 Anderson
Gloria Talbott	...	Kay Scott
William Reynolds	...	Ned Scott
Charles Drake	...	Mick Anderson
Hayden Rorke	...	Dr. Dan Hennessy
Jacqueline deWit	...	Mona Plash (as Jacqueline de Wit)
Leigh Snowden	...	Jo-Ann Grisby
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 her 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 Cary 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 | gossip | older woman younger man relationship | star crossed lovers | melodrama | 

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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:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 April 1956 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Tout ce que le ciel permet

Filming Locations:

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

A major part of the movie revolves around the fact that Jane Wyman's character is supposed to be substantially older than Rock Hudson. In reality, Jane Wyman was only 38 and Rock Hudson was only 30 when they filmed this movie.

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Goofs

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

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Quotes

Cary Scott: You can't ignore convention.
Dr. Hennessy: So you gave up a man you were in love with because you were afraid of Mona and the others. And you have the great satisfaction of being taken back into the fold.
Cary Scott: Well I was thinking of my children.
Dr. Hennessy: You're just as lonely as you were before. Lonelier, in fact. Kay married. And Ned abroad. So what good was your noble sacrifice? Cary, marry him.

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Connections

Spoofed in Polyester (1981)

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Soundtracks

Consolation No.3 in D flat major
(uncredited)
Music by Franz Liszt

User Reviews

Scathing social commentary masking as soap opera.

Douglas Sirk is a truly underrated director, and this film shows why. Although this film becomes more highly regarded as the years go by, especially by non-Americans, it is usually regarded as just a well made soaper. Big mistake. This is a very angry film, a scathing commentary on the conformity and mindlessness that characterized much of the 1950s. Remember, this film was made in 1955, before there were any beatniks or hippies, before the civil rights movement, before there was any pot smoking, before anyone beyond the fringes questioned any of the basic values underlying capitalist America. America was at the peak of its power and prestige, and this was perhaps the first mainstream film that questioned the values that presumably were responsible for that ascendancy. Because this film is essentially about class and the primacy that human relationships must have over material gain, social acceptance, and social conformity.

Think of the forbidden (at the time) themes that this film deals with. Older woman, younger man. The shallowness, insipidity, and snobbery of the upper middle class arrivistes who have "made it," all of which masks their basic insecurity, unhappiness, and self-loathing. A male lead who doesn't care about acceptance by anyone, who doesn't care about money or success, who just wants to be happy and "do his own thing," well over a decade before that phrase was coined. The Wyman character foolishly (at first) decides that acceptance by her peers and children is more important than finding happiness with a man she truly loves, and what does she end up with for companionship? A television set! This was the decade in which "The Lonely Crowd" was published, and this film exemplifies that concept, as well as striking examples of other- vs. inner-directed, far better than any other film of its time.

Sirk was truly a visionary, well ahead of his time. This was why this film inspired Fassbinder's "Ali: Fear Eats the Soul" and Todd Haynes' "Far from Heaven." It is all the more powerful for having been made then and in not being a retrospective look, as is "Far from Heaven," from a more "enlightened" future time. For its social import, I rate this 9/10.