Imitation of Life

Imitation of Life poster 7.8
  • Director: Douglas Sirk
  • Cast: Lana Turner, John Gavin, Sandra Dee
  • Genre: Drama
  • Premiere: 1959
  • Running time: 125 min
  • Rated: Approved

Aspiring actress Lora Meredith meets Annie Johnson, a homeless Black woman at Coney Island, and soon they share a tiny apartment. Each woman has an intolerable daughter. However, Annie's little girl Sarah Jane is by far the worst. Neurotic and obnoxious, Sarah Jane doesn't like being Black; since she's light-skinned (her father was practically white), she spends the rest of the film trying to pass as white, much to her mother's heartache and shame. Lora, meanwhile, virtually ignores her own daughter in a single-minded quest for stardom.

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Streaming rights come and go, and picture quality is squeezed by bandwidth. A 4K UHD or Blu-ray disc gives you the film permanently, in the highest fidelity, with the extras and commentary that streaming usually drops.

Accolades: Nominated for 2 Oscars. 3 wins & 6 nominations total

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