Tuesday, March 26, 2013

309. All That Heaven Allows

All That Heaven Allows
1956 (This is how it is listed in the book; I think it is actually 1955)
Directed by Douglas Sirk












A wealthy woman is in love with her gardener.  Society won't like it! Will love prevail?

Admittedly, these two aren't as sexy as say, other gardener/rich woman pairs:
But still, they are great actors.  The performances would be better if the script had been better.  As is, this being a melodrama, the love scenes are hammy and a bit hard to swallow.

However, it was still interesting to see a movie that showed suburbia as not some idyllic place but rather an environment filled with unhappy and bored people.  Of course, this is a theme that will be done to death later but it wasn't exactly common back then.

So like I said, this is a soapy melodrama, which can be fun sometimes and ridiculous other times.  This one was probably on the ridiculous side but still fun.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Jane Wyman is only eight years older than Rock Hudson.


2 comments:

  1. I loved the scene where her children suggests that she gets a television. That should be able to fill her life. May I never be that mean to my parents...

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  2. Is it just me, is it just the benefit of knowing now what wasn't public at the time about Rock Hudson, or is this film a metaphor? I mean, the love that dare not speak its name wasn't that of a widow and a younger, lower-class man.

    There seem to be too many bits of hinting dialogue for it to be a coincidence. Like when Rock tries to explain why he doesn't find girls interesting, or when they both agree that he would prefer her to be a man.

    All good jolly fun though, even if I couldn't feel the chemistry between them.

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