Imitation of Life Movie Review

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Racquel Collins Professor Pelot Enc-1102 July 8 2013 The Imitation of Life With mothers and daughters, the grass often seems greener on the other side. Released in 1959, the blockbuster Imitation of Life starring Lana Turner, Juanita Moore, Sandra Dee and Susan Kohner, this idea might be the major unfolding theme along with social and racial issues to add to the drama. Directed by Douglas Sirk, the film is an adaptation of Fannie Hurst’s best-selling novel of the same name. It was Sirk's final Hollywood film and called attention to race, class and gender factors. Imitation of Life is a brilliant coming of age film which brings to light the emotional turmoil caused by the deep racial divide. The story, set in New York City in the 1940s, begins when beautiful widow Lora Meredith (Turner) takes her pretty little blonde daughter, Susie, to Coney Island. There, Susie meets Sarah Jane, who is the same age and is also there with her mother, Annie Johnson (Moore). Unlike her mother, Sarah Jane does not show her mixed-race ancestry and can pass for white, which she does with fierce zeal and eagerness. In return for Annie's kindness, Lora takes in Annie and her daughter. Annie works as Lora's live-in housekeeper, bringing her light-skinned daughter along. A decade spans while Lora’s career goes into high gear and Annie is saddled with the responsibility of raising both girls. Exposed to the advantages of the white world, Sarah Jane (Susan Kohner) passes for white, causing her mother a great deal of heartache. Meanwhile, the grown up Susie (Sandra Dee), neglected by her mother, seeks consolation with her mother’s suitor. When Annie dies, her daughter realizes how selfish she has been; simultaneously, Lora awakens to the fact that she has not been much of a mother for her own daughter. The young Sarah Jane is none too happy about her station in life, a
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