All That Heaven Allows (1955)

An attractive upscale New England widow (Jane Wyman) falls in love with her gardener (Rock Hudson), who is much younger than her. Their romance must overcome the malicious gossip of her country club set as well her adult children (William Reynolds, Gloria Talbott) who don't hesitate to make their disapproval of the relationship known. One of the seminal films of the 1950s, Douglas Sirk's ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS uses the melodrama to explore the small mindedness of 1950s society and its hypocrisy. Tongues wag with innuendo at the older Wyman's relationship with the hunky Hudson but the relationship between an older man (Tol Avery) and his young blonde trophy fiancee (Leigh Snowden) is so accepted it's barely even commented on. Her daughter espouses her feminist rant about women being forced into a metaphorical grave along with their deceased husbands but she can't practice what she preaches and caves in when her mother attempts to rebuild her life with another man. Even the country club widow's way of life is challenged by the Thoreau inspired gardener for whom money is unimportant and wants nothing more than a peaceful nature loving life. Aided by his sorcerer of a cameraman Russell Metty, Sirk creates a visually stunning display of light and shadow, vivid colors and reflective surfaces. This film influenced homages by Todd Haynes, Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Francois Ozon to name just three. The lush score is by Frank Skinner. With Agnes Moorehead, Virginia Grey, David Janssen, Gia Scala, Charles Drake, Merry Anders, Conrad Nagel, Eleanor Audley and in a biting performance as the mean spirited community gossip, Jacqueline DeWit.