Movie Night: All That Heaven Allows 1955

Sigh...All that Heaven Allows is the kind of movie that makes you want to curl up on the sofa on a rainy day. Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman star in this 1955 love story in technicolor glory. She is a lonely widow surrounded by country club friends and their groping husbands. He is a hunky gardener, who is caring for the trees surrounding her suburban home.

I heard about this movie in a book called Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger. In his lovely novel about love and loss, the main character has a favorite movie that shapes her life. You've got it: All that Heaven Allows. She talks about the movie so much, that I determined to find a copy and watch it for myself. I did not realize that this movie was the inspiration for one of my modern-day favorites Far From Heaven - which was filmed and directed to reflect the style of this genre with its rich, saturated colors and sweeping melodrama.

Jane Wyman is a lovely, classy actress - and here she plays a misunderstood widow who is trying to decide what she wants out of life.

Her husband's death has caused everybody, including the nosy neighbors, to voice their opinion about her actions and her future.

Into this scene walks Rock Hudson in all of his handsome splendidness. He is the strong silent type who hangs out with beatniks and drinks Chianti out of straw-wrapped bottles. He introduces her to a different type of life...one filled with passion and spontaneity.

But loving him, means giving up the life she has known. Although, she would get to live in the Mill he so carefully restores...complete with a roaring fireplace and a huge dramatic picture window.

I can't give away anymore without ruining the ending. I loved every minute of it. All That Heaven Allows is romantic and complicated. It has wonderful scenes of life in the 1950s - both among the country club set and the regular folks.

It will tug at your heart strings and make you sigh...the perfect movie night.

Comments

Lisa said…

I. LOVE. THIS. MOVIE. The color's so lush, the story's so soap-opera-y and wonderful!

April 29, 2013 at 1:04 PM

Jamie Janosz said…

Thanks for the note, Lisa. Yes - it is pretty dreamy!!! I hadn't watched too many Rock Hudson movies - now I see why he was so popular.

April 29, 2013 at 2:25 PM

Mary McLeod Bethune: She Has Given Her Best

I first heard about Mary McLeod Bethune when I was a student at Moody Bible Institute. She was an early graduate of my college - and an African American woman. I knew she had gone on to become one of the greatest women in our country. She was so well known that she earned the status of being featured on our postage stamps. But I didn't really know much about her. As I researched Mary McLeod Bethune for my book, When Others Shuddered: Eight Women Who Refused to Give Up . I learned a bit more about her remarkable life: She was the 15th of 17 children, born to former slaves. From an early age, she hungered for education. She graduated from Moody Bible Institute with a desire for missionary service to Africa - an opportunity she was denied because of her race. Undeterred, she started a school for African American girls in Daytona Beach, Florida, that went on to become Bethune Cookman University. She was asked to work with Franklin D. Roosevelt and led many ...

Pacific Garden Mission: A Bed, A Meal and the Bright Light of Hope

In 1877, a woman named Sarah Dunn Clarke and her newly-wedded husband George started a rescue mission on Chicago’s south side. They were wealthy, but their hearts were broken by the men and women who struggled to survive on the city’s streets. The Pacific Garden Mission is the 2 nd oldest operating rescue mission in the United States. Now located on 14 th St and Canal – just south of Chicago’s loop – they offer shelter to as many as a thousand men and women on any given night. As part of my book research to understand how the work of Sarah Clarke continues today, I visited the mission with my friend Dawn Pulgine. Entering through the side, we felt a bit out of our element. Men, black and white, old and young, clustered near the doorway. Some carried bags of personal belongings. Others were working the desk and security. It was mid-day at the Mission. We were given a tour by one of the “program men” – residents who choose to stay a...

My Life as a Cosplay Mom

Cosplay?! What's that? When I tell people that my teenage daughter loves to cosplay, they often have no idea what I'm talking about. About five years ago, my daughter created her first costume to attend a cosplay convention. What I quickly learned is that her love for "cosplay" (defined as costume play) would definitely involve her mom! Together, we have made countless trips to the fabric and craft store as I learned to sew, trace, and glue, create patterns from scratch, and apply stage make-up. In the photo to the left, you can see my husband and I, with our daughter, in full Pokemon cosplay. Attending ACEN (Anime Central) at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, two mild-mannered parents were instantly transformed into Team Magma. Our daughter had full design control, helping me create our group costume. Apparently we did it right, because the moment we entered the conference center, we were stopped for photos. Milt and I had to fake i...

Jamie Janosz

Search This Blog