All That Heaven Allows

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

Unrated,
Directed By
Written By
Peg Fenwick, Edna L. Lee
Genres
Drama, Romance, Classics

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.

Read all 15 critic reviews

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)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Sophie B


    I don't quite know how to describe this. I watched it expecting nothing great and I still feel quite confused as to my feelings on it but I really enjoyed it. It was interesting and understandable (not always common in 'old' movies) and it touches on themes I can… More

  • Pierluigi P


    Some people never realize how society, traditions and values imprisons and forces them to conform with banality. A candid and romantic look of a taboo relationship, done with such picturesque beauty that is hard not to be moved and enchanted by it.

  • KJ P


    One of the cheesiest, yet one of the most beautiful romance films I have ever seen. This film tells the tale of an older woman, as her family is not as happy as they used to be before their father (her husband) passed away. As she begins to fall for their family gardener (Ron), he… More

  • Spencer S


    Far more progressive than many films of the decade, this film deals with the societal stance on May-December romances when an older, rich woman is involved with a former gardener years after she is widowed. It held all the culpabilities of reasoning for both sides of the debate, but… More

  • AJ V


    Most people point to this film as the greatest fifties melodrama, but that doesn't mean people have to like it, right? I think it's okay, but I really don't want to see it in a film class again!

Read all 10 featured audience ratings

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Cast

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