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Poster for Imitation of Life

Imitation of Life

1934 · 111 min

A sweeping, tear-stained melodrama that moves from cozy warmth to aching heartbreak, anchored by a mother's quiet devastation.

Directed by
John M. Stahl
Genres
Drama, Romance
Starring
Claudette Colbert, Louise Beavers, Warren William
Tagline
THE DARING STORY OF MOTHER LOVE - On the Screen for the First Time!
Overview
A struggling widow and her daughter take in a black housekeeper and her fair-skinned daughter. The two women start a successful business but face familial, identity, and racial issues along the way.

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Rent or buy in the UK
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
John M. Stahl
Genres
Drama, Romance
Starring
Claudette Colbert, Louise Beavers, Warren William
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • melancholicstrength 3 of 3
  • earneststrength 3 of 3
  • warmstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • race
  • identity
  • parenthood
  • family
  • grief
Places
  • big city
  • workplace
  • home
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • true story
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence none
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action1
Horror1
Humour3
Realism7
Romance5
Tension4
Darkness5
Complexity5
Emotional weight8

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Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
  • YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
drama, romance
Directed by
John M. Stahl
Written by
William Hurlbut
Starring
Claudette Colbert, Louise Beavers, Warren William, Rochelle Hudson, Ned Sparks, Fredi Washington, Juanita Quigley, Alan Hale
Cinematography
Merritt B. Gerstad
Runtime
111 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

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