Monday 14th March 2011
Director: Douglas Sirk
Year: 1955
Stars: Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson
Well, I've lasted until day 2! It's a start...
Now, if you don't like melodramas you won't like this. It's, perhaps unsurprisingly, rather melodramatic. There's lots of emotive music, long lingering scenes and beautiful scenery. Thankfully for me, I knew what I was getting and quite enjoy the odd melodrama now and again.
The film tells of the romance between Cary Scott (Wyman) and Ron Kirby (Hudson), and how the community react to this unconventional pairing.
If you've ever watched the much newer "Far from Heaven" (directed by Todd Haynes in 2002 and starring Julianne Moore), and wondered what the hell was going on, watching this might provide you with some answers. Far from Heaven is quite clearly based on All that Heaven Allows, and does a very good job of bringing the social critique right up-to-date.
If you stick with All that Heaven Allows, you'll probably find it fairly rewarding. The film has a lot to say. In the words of the TV review, "(the film) deftly critiques the moral values (and hypocrisy) of 1950s America while simultaneously crafting a genuinely touching romance". It's rare that I read a review and fully agree with it, but in this case it says what I want to far better than I'm able to.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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