Imitation of Life
1959 · Movie · NR · 125 min · ★ 7.5 · 85% critics
In 1940s New York, a white widow with big Broadway dreams meets a Black single mother and eventually hires her as a maid. Their lives become intertwined as both women juggle love, ambition, and the difficult social pressures of the era.
Based on Imitation of Life
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Details
- Years
- 1959
- Release date
- 1959-04-09
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 125 min
- Critic score
- 85/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.5/10 (320 votes)
- Budget
- $1,200,000
About
Choose this if you enjoy emotionally intense 1950s family melodrama with sharp social themes and standout performances like those in Imitation of Life or Stella Dallas; Not for you if you dislike melodrama or want a subtle, restrained story.
Pros: powerful performances;; thought-provoking themes;; entertaining drama | Cons: heavy melodrama;; uneven plausibility;; melodrama sometimes overwhelms
Themes
- family
- motherhood
- passing for white
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actress · 1960 · nominated
Cast & crew
Lana Turner
as Lora Meredith
John Gavin
as Steve Archer
Juanita Moore
as Annie Johnson
Sandra Dee
as Susie (16)
Susan Kohner
as Sarah Jane (18)
Robert Alda
as Allen Loomis
Dan O'Herlihy
as David Edwards
- KD
Karin Dicker
as Sarah Jane (8)
Terry Burnham
as Susie (6)
- JV
John Vivyan
as Young man
Directed by Douglas Sirk