All That Heaven Allows

All That Heaven Allows

Clash of Generations commentary

While the biggest conflict in All That Heaven Allows can be seen as that between Cary and Ron's relationship and Cary's society, I believe that the strongest factor pushing that conflict is the clash that exists between generations in her society. For starters, one of the main problems that Cary’s friends and children have with Ron is the fact that he’s so much younger than her. At least, that’s one of the main problems that are clearly stated through the melodramatic dialogue of the film. I believe that beneath the obvious conflicts, Sirk hints at others in society without needing to be so explicit about them.

           We see early in the film that Cary’s son and daughter are trying to build their lives up since they are still young and have new experiences ahead of them. This is because they are members of a younger generation. In a way, it’s their time to shine right now- to meet people, fall in love, be married, move away, find work, and so on. I believe that they object so strongly to their mother’s relationship because she’s stealing some of their spotlight in a way. The two very clearly loved their father, and want to preserve his memory and keep the past alive through the trophy and stories of him. I see it as being because they were content with their old family structure, and would like to keep it static so that they can lead dynamic lives while they are still in their youth.

          I believe that this is the true reasoning behind the actions of Cary’s children, whether they know it or not. There is a lingering tension in the film that never allows Cary to be truly close with her children. Everything about the mise-en-scene points to this divide. More specifically, “[the] shot constructions make explicit the rift between Cary Scott and her two children" (Mercer & Singler 52). One example is the shot of Cary’s son leaving while Cary appears to be trapped by the screen that has gotten between them.

          The problem of clashing generations only appears in Cary’s suburban world. Ron’s friends have no trouble with the relationship, but the society that Sirk is trying to criticize certainly does. And I believe that conflict between generations is a major cause of this.