All That Heaven Allows, 1955

March 24, 2022 | ROBERT HARBISON

The film All That Heaven Allows follows widow Cary Scott, and she tries piecing her life together after the death of her husband. Her friend, Sara Warren, invites Cary to a country club dinner along with another widower, Harvey, whom she wants Cary to meet. We then meet the gardener Ron Kirby who Cary shares lunch with. The night of the country club dinner, Cary’s kids return home and Cary tells them that Harvey will be accompanying her, to which they reluctantly prepare drinks for the two. Harvey arrives and he and Cary share a drink before heading off to dinner. At the dinner, another member, Howard asks to dance with Cary, then confesses his love for her before trying to kiss her. She then storms off. Upon returning home, Harvey flat out asks Cary if she would marry him just for some companionship, since she at this point in her life, she wouldn’t care about love. Although pondering his question, she returns inside disappointed. She retreats to her bedroom where she looks over at the branch given to her by Ron during their lunch.

Several weeks later Cary talks with Ron about how he will no longer be working as her Gardener since he will soon be growing trees as a full-time job. As she says goodbye, Ron invites her to his place to see all the trees and greenery he has, at first declining his offer, she then agrees and joins him. They drive out to the countryside where she admires his home and its earthy presence. They eventually visit the broken-down mill on his property where she suggests he fix it up and make a home out of it. Ron moves in closer to her and they share an intimate first kiss. Ron then takes her home and insists they will see each other again when he returns home.

After returning from his trip, Ron invites Cary to a party at his friend’s house, which she reluctantly agrees to. Cary then meets his two friends, Mick and Aida and they all share some drinks and toast. Ron and Mick exit and Cary asks Aida more about Ron. Aida explains that he taught her husband how there is more to life than money and career. While at the party, Ron and Cary dance the night away. In the winter, Cary goes off to visit Ron and finds him working on the mill. He then states that he is working in it for the two of them and he then asks her to marry him.

She is reluctant at first because of how she thinks everyone will feel about her being much older with a younger man, but he insists that he is sure of his love for her. Cary’s children once again return home from school for the weekend where she decides to tell them of the news. Neither of them takes the news very well, furthering her worries about her and Ron’s relationship. Ron and Cary then head to a cocktail party where all the guests are awaiting their arrival. At the party, the two split off and Howard once again goes in for a kiss with Cary. Ron steps in and all the guests flock to make him out to be the bad guy in the situation and the pair promptly leave the party.

When Cary returns home, Ned once again voices his disapproval saying he will not visit home anymore because of her decisions, then leaves the home, and his mother disheveled. The next morning Cary finds her daughter after coming home, her daughter explains that although defending her mother’s decisions, she is still unable to accept the situation and is more worried about what everyone thinks of their family. Cary drives over to the mill in hopes of holding off her and Ron’s marriage, however, this leads to an argument between the two and she ends their relationship.

When Cary's children arrive home for Christmas, they realize that they overreacted to her and Ron’s relationship and tell her they should get back together, and at the same time, Mick tells Ron that he should try and get back together with her. Cary goes out to the mill to see Ron, who tries running over to her but ends up falling and hitting his head as she drives off due to her hesitation. Cary hears the news about Ron and returns to the mill to check on him, and here she sees him unconscious and being looked at by a doctor. She discovers that Ron had never given up on their relationship, so she stays him until he wakes up.

During the period in which this movie was made, the concept of women being independent in their decision-making and not having to rely on men was less than accepted by society. Cary, who is now a widow, has been left lonely and bored since her husband’s passing. When she meets Ron for the first time and as she gets to know him, she realizes that he could care less about what others think of him, he simply lives for himself and does what makes him happy. While their love for each other flourishes, she sees Ron as her break from the chain of society that keeps her locked in a feeling of constant judgement of her actions. After raising her kids and sending them off to college, she comes to the consensus that she deserves to do what makes her happy but is conflicted throughout the film as those around her continue to force their opinions on her.

The same is found in Carol Gilligan where it discusses how women in our society are forced into a care giving roll and rather than being able to be who they want to be and enjoy what they like, they instead must make up their minds based on the men in their lives. This roll is filled in by her son Ned who keeps trying to stop her from seeing Ron, whereas Ron wants to introduce Cary to a more freethinking way of life, void of the judgement of those around her.

March 24, 2022 | NEYDA SIGUENCIA CALLE

Care Ethics follows the idea that men normally take a “justice perspective” in morality, meanwhile, women take a “caring perspective”. Women are seen as inferior, that can’t stand up for themselves and make their own decisions. They are constantly controlled by society and the people around them. In this case, when falling in love with Ron, Cary is looked down upon just because Ron is from a lower social class and he is younger. She can’t even make her own decision, of marrying again, because everyone around her disapproves. It wasn't just men putting her down, it was even her own friends and daughter who made her call off the engagement. This wasn't at all what she wanted to do but she did it so that everyone around her could be happy, especially her children. She made the decision to be unhappy and leave her true love just for others to be content. This proves the idea that women tend to put love and care for others first.

Carol Gilligan talks about Kohlberg's 6 stages of moral development. For Kohlberg, women are stuck in the 3rd stage of this development when the good decision or choice is “what pleases or helps others and are approved by them”. Throughout the movie, Cary does seem to be stuck in this stage for a very long time. Especially when she decides to not marry Ron. She makes the decision because she wants everyone's approval rather than their disapproval. More so, she wants everyone to be happy and not think bad about her, putting at risk her own happiness. Her love and care for others are definitely stronger than her own feelings; she puts others before herself. It is only towards the end, after Ron has his accident, that her moral development grows. She decides to do what's best for her, what makes her happy, and put to the side others’ opinions or beliefs. She especially decides to not let anyone come between her and Ron, specifically herself. This is how we know Cary reached her highest morality.

Additional Resources

Noel Murray, Keith Phipps, Matt Singer, Scott Tobias, Conformity, class, and color in All That Heaven Allows.

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