All That Heaven Allows (1955)

[Scottie]

All That Heaven Allows Blu-ray PRE-ORDER

This heartbreakingly beautiful indictment of 1950s American mores by Douglas Sirk follows the blossoming love between a well-off suburban widow (Jane Wyman) and her handsome and earthy younger gardener (Rock Hudson). After their romance prompts the scorn of her selfish children and snooty country club friends, she must decide whether to pursue her own happiness or carry on a lonely, hemmed-in existence for the sake of the approval of others. With the help of ace cinematographer Russell Metty, Sirk imbued nearly every shot with a vivid and distinct emotional tenor. A profoundly felt film about class and conformity in small-town America, All That Heaven Allows is a pinnacle of expressionistic Hollywood melodrama.

Disc Features
New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
Audio commentary featuring John Mercer, coauthor of Melodrama: Genre, Style, Sensibility, and film scholar Tamar Jeffers-McDonald
Rock Hudson’s Home Movies (1992), a groundbreaking essay film about the actor by Mark Rappaport
French television interview with Sirk from 1982
Excerpts from Behind the Mirror: A Profile of Douglas Sirk, a 1979 BBC documentary featuring rare interview footage with the director
Contract Kid: William Reynolds on Douglas Sirk, a 2007 interview with the actor, who costarred in three Sirk films, including All That Heaven Allows
Trailer
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Laura Mulvey and an excerpt from a 1971 essay by filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder on Sirk

New cover by Robert Hunt

[NoirFan]

I really wanted a 4K restoration for this one, as it certainly deserves it. The new commentary should be informative though, and while Rappaport's narration in his video essay is occasionally shrill and overly dramatic, he does unearth some fascinating (and amusing) undercurrents and double-entendres in Hudson's filmography (as well as highlighting the more obvious ones).

[dressedtokill]

YESSSSS!!!! I wanted more Sirk and I finally got it! Hopefully we'll get more Sirk titles in the future like: Written on the Wind and Magnificent Obsession.

[donidarko]

Just saw this film for the first time last year. Scandalous subject matter for a 50s film that aged extremely well. Can't wait to get this blu. A really beautiful looking film with Rock at his hottest.

Thank you!!! Criterion.

[James Luckard]

Glad to see this! Although it would have made a great double feature with Far From Heaven, which still isn't on BD in the US. They've released closely related films before in boxsets (The Lower Depths, The Killers), and they're the same studio.

I hope Criterion will also release Sirk's A Time to Love and a Time to Die. I may finally just give in and buy the UK Masters of Cinema BD, as I have a regionless player.

Would be great if they could get Imitation of Life as well, though I know they never had it on DVD.

[Todd Tomorrow]

Originally Posted by dressedtokill

YESSSSS!!!! I wanted more Sirk and I finally got it! Hopefully we'll get more Sirk titles in the future like: Written on the Wind and Magnificent Obsession.

...and Imitation of Life !

[JJJ225]

I can't believe it's take Criterion this long to release a Sirk film on Blu Ray!!!

[bluknight1]

Originally Posted by JJJ225

I can't believe it's take Criterion this long to release a Sirk film on Blu Ray!!!

I can't either!

I hope this means that Magnificent Obsession, Written on the Wind, Tarnished Angels (unavailable on DVD in R1!), and Imitation of Life are close behind!

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by JJJ225

I can't believe it's take Criterion this long to release a Sirk film on Blu Ray!!!

Tell me about it. I saw this a few months ago via TCM and I LOVED IT.

I still have Magnificent Obsession and Written on the Wind (I think I deleted Imitation of Life ).

[BluPat]

Great news!!!! Love these dramatic weepies from the 1950's. More Douglas Sirk and Rock Hudson please Criterion!

[Swissangel4616]

Originally Posted by JJJ225

I can't believe it's take Criterion this long to release a Sirk film on Blu Ray!!!

Younger generation would ask: who to hell is Rock Hudson and/or Jane Wyman?

[hustlermane]

Guys, don't sleep on other Sirks either! The main Technicolor Hudson ones are obviously great, but the B/W Stanwyck dramas, All I Desire and There's Always Tomorrow, are as good as anything he made, and No Room For The Groom and Has Anybody Seen My Gal are two of my favourite comedies of the 50s. Interlude is a great melodrama as well that would look astonishing on blu-ray, it's gorgeous.

All of these have roughly 0% chance of getting the Criterion treatment but Sirk needs to be seen more on blu.

[PowellPressburger]

I was kind of hoping Criterion would have been able to do a Sirk blu Box Set. Single releases are fine and I love the cover art for this film. I would love Written on the Wind and as someone else has mentioned each time I watch All That Heaven Allows I think about Far From Heaven. I wish Criterion would licenese that title thru Universal/ Focus Films I think CC would do it justice.

[widegambler2012]

Originally Posted by Swissangel4616

Younger generation would ask: who to hell is Rock Hudson and/or Jane Wyman?

I for one don't agree there are some younger people who still enjoy classic films on the Blu-ray format. Just look at my collection would you be surprised to know I am only 21

[filmmusic]

I LOVE this film! I watch it around Christmas every year for 3 years now, since I first saw it!

Good for you widegambler that you're watching old films!!!
Many dismiss them and it's a pity because they're missing great films!

[PowellPressburger]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

I LOVE this film! I watch it around Christmas every year for 3 years now, since I first saw it!

Same here I watched it around Christmas this past year and Written on the Wind is my summer Sirk

[Rizor]

The new cover art is pretty weak compared to the old DVD one.

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by Rizor

The new cover art is pretty weak compared to the old DVD one.

I was going to post just now what everyone thinks of the new cover!
Yes, I agree.
I like the painting type, but the faces - especially wyman's - seem a bit off.

Of course the movie is what counts.

[BluPat]

Originally Posted by Swissangel4616

Younger generation would ask: who to hell is Rock Hudson and/or Jane Wyman?

LOL that's like on Dallas Buyers Club at the beginning. After seeing Rock Hudson's picture in the paper concerning AIDS, one guy says, "Who the Hell is Rock Hudson?!" Then another says, "He's an actor dumbass. Haven't you ever seen North By NorthWest?"

Anyway, just pre-ordered.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by Rizor

The new cover art is pretty weak compared to the old DVD one.

Old cover is great, but does it really fit the movie? The new cover atleast matches the boldness of the technicolor.