Review of Imitation of Life (1959) by Deb S — 31 Mar 2011

The story begins in post WWII NYC when Lana Turner (in the role of a struggling actress) hires a maid Annie (Juanita Moore) to work for and live with Turner and her then 7 year old daughter (same age as the maid's little girl). Times are tough at first, but the foursome gets on fine. Only little Sarah Jane (the maid's daughter) has constant trouble accepting her color and her "African American" mother whom she blames for preventing her from trying to pass off as white.

Years pass, the family gains a good fortune and the girls grow up to young women, but life is not just constant bliss: the racial self-hatred of Sarah Jane (now played by Susan Kohner) is seriously affecting her life and self-image and she never misses the opportunity to degrade and humiliate her Mom for just being a maid while the teenaged Susie (Sandra Dee) develops feelings for Steve Archer (John Gavin), the potential fiancé of Lora which predictably leads to trouble.

Ostensibly Lana Turner portrays the main character. Hers is the familiar, rags-to-riches tale, made even more glamorous by its show business context. But by the end of the film, her story is secondary. What makes this movie fascinating are the scenes between long suffering Annie and her daughter Sarah Jane. This is definitely a tear jerker so be sure to have a box of tissues for the film's conclusion.