All That Heaven Allows

All That Heaven Allows is a 1955 romantic drama movie. It stars Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson. Douglas Sirk directed. It is based on a story by Edna L. Lee and Harry Lee. The movie was produced by Ross Hunter, and released by Universal Pictures. It was chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

Story

Cary Scott is a rich widow. Her social life is dull. It centers on her two adult children, her country club friends, and a couple of men with romantic hopes. She falls in love with young landscape designer Ron Kirby. He is her social inferior. He proposes and she says yes. Her children and friends disapprove. Because of this, Cary ends the relationship with Ron. Cary returns to her lonely life. She sees other women getting engaged and living lives of happiness. She finds the courage to defy social norms and commits to loving Ron.

Criticism

Bosley Crowther did not like the movie. He wrote, "The script was obviously written to bring [Wyman] and Mr. Hudson, who made a popular twosome in the Magnificent Obsession, together again. Solid and sensible drama plainly had to give way to outright emotional bulldozing and a paving of easy clichés."^[1]