Review of All That Heaven Allows (1955) by Gordon B — 28 Apr 2009

"All That Heaven Allows" is not unlike other films that criticize the shallow lifestyles of bourgeois elitists. The film suggests that the people who get by on status recognition or how quick they are in picking up new trends are lifeless shells walking amongst us. Where it's different, however, is that the two protagonists defy most of these film conventions. Take Carey Scott (Jane Wyman), for instance. Her friends are the sort of people who rarely leave the country club, and their arrogance and gossiping leads them at each other's throats. She loves them, however, and she's not willing to lose them nor her own comfortable way of living. In a lesser film about "forbidden love", she would have already been engaged at the demand of her parents. She would be held into this lifestyle by force. Carey, on the other hand, could change anytime she wants to. The fact that the film centers around her avoidance of doing so suggests that she is not the romantic lover we would initially expect. It isn't a film where "love conquers all", but rather a film where love is a risk that could damage reputation, position in society, and friendships.

Instead, however, the romantic dreamer of the film is a rugged gardener named Ron Kirby (Rock Hudson). Here the gender roles are mostly reversed. Ron is gentle and kind, often seen peering out of a window longing romantically. On the other hand, Carey is shot in framing that seems to enclose her as if it were a prison cell. While Ron Kirby is very much your archetypal Prince Charming, he is also the blue collar variant that, instead of providing riches, may, in fact, take them away. Carey is making a decision to spend the rest of her life in a cabin in the forest rather than sipping fine wine in a country club.

Carey is a middle-aged widow with two children, Ned (William Reynolds) and Kay (Gloria Talbott). She first discovers Ron, her gardener, on a particularly lonely afternoon. It's much to her surprise to find out that Ron has been working at the house for three years ever since his father had passed away. At this point in time, Carey is waiting to be swept off her feet after the failed attempts of other suitors. Due to these urges, she falls for a man that's not only 15 years younger then her, but farther down the totem pole of societal expectation. When Ron proposes, the children threaten to never speak to their mother again should she accept.

"All That Heaven Allows" is very much a soap opera, but it's uncommonly intelligent and insightful. I appreciated the fact that it didn't rely too heavily on archetypal characters, and although it's overtly melodramatic it also provides enough subtleties that make the film-watching experience an active, rather than passive, one. While I didn't like this one as much as Sirk's "Written on the Wind", i'd certainly recommend checking it out.