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| Imitation of Life | 
 enlarge | Director: Douglas Sirk
Actors: Lana Turner, John Gavin, Sandra Dee, Robert Alda, Susan Kohner
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $8.00
You Save: $6.98 (47%)
New (28) Used (10) from $8.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  139 reviews
Sales Rank: 1090
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 125
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: D22611D
ISBN: 0783276702
UPC: 025192261121
EAN: 9780783276700
ASIN: B0000714BT
Theatrical Release Date: April 30, 1959
Release Date: January 7, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
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| Customer Reviews:
 Actually hurts to watch this one February 14, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
************* SPOILER ALERT! DON'T READ BEFORE SEEING THIS FILM! *********
Actually, I envy anyone who hasn't seen this one yet - they get to see it for the 1st time & it is amazing. Guaranteed to make anyone cry like a baby. Its really an unusual film in that its ostensibly a star vehicle for Lana Turner as Lora - & it is. But the centerpiece of the whole movie is the relationship between Annie(Juanita Moore) & Sarah Jane(Susan Kohner). Lora rises to stardom & makes maybe a 100 costume changes along the way. Her acting gets criticized a lot, but she's perfect for this part - a glamorous, self-absorbed but well-intentioned drama queen totally focused on her career & oblivious to all those around her. There's a brief but telling scene when she blurts out that she never realized that Annie had any friends (or by extension a life outside of being her maid). The 2 women lock eyes for an instant but another character interrupts & the moment is lost forever.
Like I said, this film is really about Annie & Sarah Jane & their scenes together (with both versions of Sarah Jane) are literally unbearably painful to watch. Sarah Jane is furious at the cruelty of segregation & prejudice & takes out her resentment at white people on poor Annie. She also has an escape hatch which she discovers early & uses at every opportunity - she can pass as white. But Annie can't & her actual presence repudiates Sarah Jane's lie & her daughter despises her for that fact. So by definition she must also despise herself.
Both women richly deserved their Oscar nominations, & as noted their scenes together are incredibly hurtful to watch. The last 2 scenes are particularly brutal. The 1st one is when Annie catches her daughter dancing at a strip club. Annie begs her to come home & talk to her but Sarah Jane turns her back on her & walks away with no intention of ever seeing her mother again. The 2nd one is the goodbye scene when Annie senses she's going to die soon & goes to LA to see Sarah Jane for one last time & is the ultimate tear-jerker. In the motel room when Sarah Jane refuses to let her mother sit down because she only wants to get rid of her as quickly as possible - & we can see how ill & distraught Annie is - this moment will rip the heart right out of your chest no mattter how tough you think you are. The rest of this scene, although brief, is no less painful & will make anyone cry no matter how many times you see it.
It then becomes apparent that Annie's illness is actually her heart having been broken by her daughter's behavior as well as her constant & merciless abuse. So she dies & she's only in her late 30's or so at the most. But she always wanted a special funeral & had saved up for it over the years. And she gets it - Mahalia Jackson giving her all & an elaborate funeral cortege. We also get a glimpse of Annie's life away from Lora's house. Many people are there & they obviously think very highly of Annie. When Sarah Jane shows up & begs forgiveness much too late - this is one of the all-time great movie endings. In fact, the last 30 minutes or so of this film are extremely difficult to take & I know people who have seen this movie once & refuse to watch it again because its so painful. May be the ultimate chick flick - I can't recommend it highly enough in spite of being a man.
The transfer itself is awful. Its apparent that a lot of care went into the colors, set designs, clothes & cinematography but everything just looks washed out. Hopefully this classic will get the restoration it deseves some day.
 Imitation of Life January 23, 2008
This product was for a present. Very good D.V.D but the devlivery was very long and it did not arrive when the estimated date of devlivery was given it arrived aprroximately a fornight later.
A Must See January 8, 2008
A very interesting movie, in many ways. The subject matter and story are intense even in today's times. This film must have created quite a stir when it was made in 1959. Many interesting details about the stars, and how their careers and lives played out, are available from Google and similar search engines.
Well pleased January 7, 2008
First, I was very surprised to find this old movie. My daughter wanted it as one of her gifts so I was happy when I saw that Amazon had it. It was shipped promptly and the free shipping deal is great, Thanks Amazon!!
Imitation of Life December 29, 2007
This movie is a great example of how a child can treat their parents. Also, it shows how a Black person can pass for white if the skin tone is light. This girl would rather be white than to claim her heritage as a Black American. Wonderful movie, a classic.
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