All That Heaven Allows (1955)
-
92% of critics liked it
(26 reviews) -
47% want to see it
(3,606 ratings)
One of director Douglas Sirk's best and most successful romantic soapers of the 1950s, All That Heaven Allows is predicated on a May-December romance. The difference here is that the woman, attractive widow Cary Scott (Jane Wyman), is considerably older than the man, handsome gardener-landscaper… More One of director Douglas Sirk's best and most successful romantic soapers of the 1950s, All That Heaven Allows is predicated on a May-December romance. The difference here is that the woman, attractive widow Cary Scott (Jane Wyman), is considerably older than the man, handsome gardener-landscaper Ron Kirby (Rock Hudson). Sirk builds up sympathy for Cary by showing how empty her life has been since her husband's death, even suggesting that the marriage itself was no picnic. Throwing conventionial behavior to the winds and facing social ostracism, Cary pursues her romance with Ron, who is unjustly perceived as a fortune-hunter by Cary's friends and family--especially her priggish son Ned (William Reynolds). Amusingly, Conrad Nagel was to have had a much larger part as Harvey, an elderly widower who carries a torch for Cary, but his role was trimmed down during previews when audiences disapproved of an implicit romance between a sixtyish man and a fortysomething woman! All That Heaven Allows was remade by unabashed Douglas Sirk admirer Rainer Werner Fassbinder as Ali--Fear Eats the Soul (1974), in which the age gap between hero and heroine was even wider. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Douglas Sirk
- Written By
- Peg Fenwick, Edna L. Lee
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Classics
Unrated,
Critic Reviews
-
Variety Staff, Variety
Hudson is handsome and somewhat wooden. Laconic of speech, and imbued with an angel's patience and understanding, it's at times hard to understand his passion for the widow, what with pretty girls just spoilingfor his attention.
-
Bosley Crowther, New York Times
Solid and sensible drama plainly had to give way to outright emotional bulldozing and a paving of easy clichés.
-
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Beneath the stunningly lovely visuals -- all expressionist colours, reflections, and frames-within-frames, used to produce a precise symbolism -- lies a kernel of terrifying despair
-
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
A masterpiece (1955) by one of the most inventive and recondite directors ever to work in Hollywood, Douglas Sirk.
-
Rob Nelson, City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul
Sirk benefited immeasurably from the fact that the chief subject of his crazy cinema was postwar America.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Subscription Services
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Cast
-
Jane Wyman
as Cary Scott
-
Rock Hudson
as Ron Kirby
-
Agnes Moorehead
as Sara Warren
-
Virginia Grey
as Alida Anderson
-
Gloria Talbott
as Kay Scott
-
Conrad Nagel
as Harvey
-
William Reynolds
as Ned Scott
-
Jacqueline de Wit
as Mona Plash
-
Charles Drake
as Mick Anderson
-
Leigh Snowden
as Jo-Ann
-
Merry Anders
as Mary Ann
-
Donald Curtis
as Howard Hoffer
-
Alex Gerry
as George Warren
-
Tol Avery
as Tom Allenby
-
Lillian Culver
as Bit part
-
Jim Hayward
as John
-
David Janssen
as Freddie Norton
-
Paul Keast
as Mark Plash
-
Forrest Lewis
as Mr. Weeks
-
Joseph Mell
as Mr. Gow
-
Nestor Paiva
as Manuel
-
Vernon Rich
as Bill
-
Hayden Rorke
as Dr. Hennessy
-
Gia Scala
as Manuel's Daughter
