All That Heaven Allows (1955)

Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson star in Douglas Sirk’s influential melodrama.

Douglas Sirk’s sumptuous but scathing melodrama explores the various obstacles and objections raised by a middle-class widow’s family and friends against her blossoming relationship with a younger, vaguely bohemian gardener. The exact, exquisite compositions and colours express a stultifying sense of entrapment by social conformism, materialism and hypocrisy.

1955 USA
Directed by
Douglas Sirk
Produced by
Ross Hunter
Written by
Peg Fenwick
Featuring
Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Agnes Moorehead
Running time
89 minutes

Ranked in The Greatest Films of All Time poll

Sight and Sound

Who voted for All That Heaven Allows

Critics

Tara Brady
Ireland
Donald Clarke
Ireland
Alejandro Cozza
Argentina
Jenny Darling
Australia
Sam Davies
UK
Miguel Dias
Portugal
Shawn Glinis
USA
Julian Graffy
UK
Elinor Groom
UK
Laura Horak
Canada
Tara Judah
Australia/UK
Helmi Kajaste
Finland
Alexia Kannas
Australia
Emmanuelle Lacalm
France
Peter Matthews
UK
Alastair Phillips
UK
Nenad Polimac
Croatia
Chris Stults
USA
Ana Šturm
Slovenia
Sydney Urbanek
Canada
Laura Venning
UK

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