Dan O'Herlihy, John Gavin, Juanita Moore

This is a tear-jerking melodrama about a single mother who hires a black woman to care for her child. The film subverts Hollywood conventions to create a bitter critique of American racism and capital...( read more  read more... )ism.

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92% liked it

7,808 ratings

Critics

83% liked it

12 critics

Unrated, 2 hrs. 5 min.

Directed by: Douglas Sirk

Release Date: January 1, 1958

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DVD Release Date: January 7, 2003

Stats: 738 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (738)


  • September 13, 2009
    I know that Lana Turner is the face that drew 1959 audiences to the theater but it's Juanita Moore's performance that anchors this film as a true American classic. Don't get me wrong, Lana is absolutely wonderful in her role, as are John Gavin, Sandra Dee and Susan Kohner, but M...( read more)iss Moore is the person who you'll be thinking about and talking about long after the credits roll.

    Juanita Moore - Imitation of Life


    Imitation of Life is sentimental without being sappy. It's also boldly allegorical without being preachy. I'm tempted to say that it was ahead of it's time but, by 1959, it was long overdue.
  • August 18, 2009
    In the 1950's, director Douglas Sirk made a wonderful string of melodramas - films like "Written on the Wind", "All That Heaven Allows", "Magnificent Obsession", and his final Hollywood production, "Imitation of Life". Following the success of "Imitation of Life", which garnered ...( read more)two deserved oscar nominations for the performances of Susan Kohner and Juanita Moore, Sirk would retreat back to his homeland of Germany for the rest of his life. Although his films served well as melodramatic chick films, Sirk's films are still celebrated for their critique of the self-satisfied 1950 American society and also their beautiful visual style. Sirk's legacy continues to live on, being a noted influence on modern directors such as Wong Kar-Wai, Todd Haynes, and Pedro Almodovar.

    "Imitation of Life" is adapted from a best-selling novel by Fannie Hurst, which was first adapted into a film by John M. Stahl in 1934. It begins on a beach where Lora Meredith (Lana Turner) looks for her daughter, Susie (played as an adult by Sandra Dee). She is found playing with the white daughter of a black woman, Annie Johnson (Juanita Moore), whom Lora had assumed was a maid. Annie winds up working as the housekeeper for Lora at no cost other than a place to live with her young daughter.

    Annie's daughter, Sarah Jane (played as an adult by Susan Kohner), does whatever she can do to hide her race. She hates her mother when she brings her a lunch during class, revealing to her peers that she is the daughter of a black woman, and is eventually beaten by a boyfriend for her lineage. She is eventually lead to working at strip clubs and eventually as a chorus line girl in Las Vegas, doing whatever she can to live the life of a "normal" white woman.

    Meanwhile, however, Lora finds success as a stage actress after she is discovered by a sleazy agent, Allen Loomis (Robert Alda, father of Allan). Throughout the years, a long time friend, Steve Archer (John Gavin), consistently pursues the love of Lora, however unbeknownced to him Lora's own daughter, Susie, gains an infatuation for him as well.

    The film is remarkably cynical for what you'd expect out of a 50's melodrama. The character's actions are not premeditated and they only do what will benefit themselves - perhaps only Annie is unselfish, however Sarah Jane would tell you differently. It's dabbling in xenophobia is perhaps a bit shallow, but fascinating nonetheless thanks to the captivating performance by Kohner.

    I adored this film as much as I do Sirk's other works. While I can't say it's my favorite, it's certainly a weepie that doesn't settle for mindless manipulation. It earns it's tears with sophistication and inspired performances. It's perhaps the most mature of Sirk's films - certainly the most epic - and it still remains a delight 50 years after it's release.
  • October 22, 2008
    so it's a big soapy melodrama like i always suspected. not a huge fan of glamour girl turner and sandra dee is just annoying, but it has some painful things to say about race relations in the 50's. it was a brave film that made people think, i hope. i felt sorry for sara jane;...( read more) who wouldn't try to pass in those circumstances? i kinda wanted annie to get pissed off and quit acting like a maid too. it was cool to see mahalia jackson at the end. i wouldn't have watched this if it wasn't for kevin's rave review and he's right: it was long overdue
  • December 9, 2007
    I liked but didn't love Imitation of Life. The titles were fantastic but Douglas Sirk didn't let it as loose as he did with All That Heaven Allows and Written on the Wind when it came to the landscapes and his trademarked colors. I got the message that Sirk was conveying but I di...( read more)dn't really care about any of the characters. Lana Turner was kind of dead behind the eyes and artificial, Susie was generally vacuous and Sarah Jane was a raging asshole. Annie was awesome though. When people talk about how they cry at the end, I feel the intense urge to tell them to stop watching The View and to quit peeing while sitting down. But that last scene made that urge go away.
  • July 7, 2007
    This is a film classic, you can't do better than Lana Turner in a role that only she could have played!. . . This is one of my favorites
  • November 16, 2009
    Brilliant, Its an all time favourite of mine. Has me bawling every time, its so sad.
  • September 21, 2009
    this is a real tear jerker
  • September 2, 2009
    A beautiful film with great performances and a sadly honest look at the racial inequality of its day. Juanita Moore's performance in particular was heartbreaking.
  • August 15, 2009
    It's overblown melodrama, but not something I enjoyed.
  • July 28, 2009
    Poignant and well done study on family, race issues, American society. A must see!

Comments


  • maggiegillespie1956
    June 29, 2009
    the story is about a mother love for her child
    but her daughter broke her heart by denieing her
    because of her color of her skin..its a must see
    movie,i cry everytime i see it.
  • lasham73
    July 31, 2007
    Each time I see it, I still cry. Excellent movie.

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Imitation of Life Trivia


  • Which movie, starring Natalie Wood, was a heart-rendering story of a girl whose mother was African American and whom she was ashamed of?  Answer »
  • Who was the female lead in Imitation Of Life in 1959  Answer »
  • In the first movie "Imitation Of Life" What was the women's relationship to each other.  Answer »
  • Sandra Dee's film debut was in Imitation Of Life?  Answer »

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