All That Heaven Allows (U)

Perhaps the most emblematic of all Douglas Sirk’s Hollywood melodramas, All That Heaven Allows centres on the romantic travails of an affluent widow in small-town USA.

Following the loss of her husband, Cary Scott’s life in suburban New England has settled into a safe – and rather staid – routine. But Cary risks the judgement of her friends and family when she tentatively begins a relationship with her gardener, Ron Kirby.

Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson reunited following 1954’s Magnificent Obsession, and give memorable performances in the lead roles once again. However, it is the film’s criticism of Cary’s stifling middle class milieu – often shown through Sirk’s precise use of mise en scène - that has been picked up and celebrated by critics and filmmakers alike. 

All That Heaven Allows screens in December as part of Too Much: Melodrama on Film.