All That Heaven Allows (1955)

Jane Wyman: Cary Scott

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Quotes 

• Ron Kirby : Mick discovered for himself that he had to make his own decisions, that he had to be a man.

  Cary Scott : And you want *me* to be a man?

  Ron Kirby : [Giving her a knowing smile]  Only in that one way.

• Cary Scott : You can't ignore convention.

  Dr. Hennessy : So you gave up a man you were in love with because you were afraid of Mona and the others. And you have the great satisfaction of being taken back into the fold.

  Cary Scott : Well I was thinking of my children.

  Dr. Hennessy : You're just as lonely as you were before. Lonelier, in fact. Kay married. And Ned abroad. So what good was your noble sacrifice? Cary, marry him.

• [Howard passionately but forcefully kisses Cary, she pushes him away] 

  Howard Hoffer : I'm sorry Cary. I don't know what got into me. I know you're not like that. I apologize for what I said.

  Cary Scott : That's all right, Howard.

  Howard Hoffer : But I don't apologize for wanting you.

• Kay Scott : Personally, I never subscribed to that old Egyptian custom. At least I think it was Egypt.

  Cary Scott : What Egyptian custom?

  Kay Scott : Of walling up the widow alive in the funeral chamber of her dead husband along with all of his other possessions. The theory being that she was his possession too so she was supposed to journey into death with him. And the community saw to it that she did. Course that doesn't happen anymore.

  Cary Scott : Doesn't it? Well, perhaps not in Egypt.

• Dr. Hennessy : Forget for a moment that I'm your doctor and let me give you some advice as a friend. Marry him.

  Cary Scott : Well, there's no point in discussing that. It's all over.

  Dr. Hennessy : Apparently it isn't. You still have the headaches.

• Cary Scott : Alida, what did you mean when you said that Ron taught Mick?

  Alida Anderson : Well, it's... it's kind of hard to explain. I guess all of us are looking for security these days. You see, Mick thought, well, like a lot of other people, that if he had money and an important position, it would make him secure. Then when he met Ron, who didn't have either one and didn't seem to need them, he was completely baffled. The answer was so simple it took Mick a long time to figure it out.

  Cary Scott : Well, what was the answer?

  Alida Anderson : To thine own self be true. That's Ron. You see, Ron's security comes from inside himself, and nothing can ever take it away from him. Ron absolutely refuses to let unimportant things become important.

• Mona Plash : You know what everyone said.

  Cary Scott : No, but I'm sure you do.

• [last lines] 

  Ron Kirby : Cary?

  Cary Scott : Yes, Ron.

  Ron Kirby : You've come home.

  Cary Scott : Yes, darling, I've... I've come home.

• Kay Scott : Mom? Momma?

  Cary Scott : Don't you see, Kay? The whole thing's been so pointless.

  Kay Scott : Oh momma, I'm terribly sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! Momma, it still isn't too late. If he loves you.

  Cary Scott : Please Kay...

• Dr. Hennessy : I was just going over the findings. There's nothing organically wrong with you, Cary.

  Cary Scott : Well then why do I have these headaches? It's not my imagination, and they're getting worse all the time.

  Dr. Hennessy : You're punishing yourself.

  Cary Scott : For what?

  Dr. Hennessy : For running away from life. The headaches are nature's way of making a protest.

  Cary Scott : Well, will you give me something for them?

  Dr. Hennessy : Do you expect me to give you a prescription to cure life?

• Cary Scott : [reading from Mick's copy of Henry David Thoreau's Walden]  The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed?

  [pauses as Alida enters, continues reading] 

  Cary Scott : If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it's because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.

• Sara Warren : Remember you have Ned and Kay to think about. At their age, what people say matter terribly. Have you stopped to think what all these rumors will do to them?

  Cary Scott : You're asking me to give up Ron because of something in people that's mean and contemptible.

  Sara Warren : I didn't say that.

  Cary Scott : Do you really think it would be good for Ned and Kay if I were to let myself be beaten by such hatefulness.

  [pause] 

  Cary Scott : Well, I'm not going to do it. Let them say what they want to. And that goes for you too, Sara.

• Kay Scott : Remember the afternoon Freddie and I had the big fight? That's when we found out we loved each other. Momma, he's so wonderful.

  Cary Scott : Yes, I remember. That was the day you told me your life would be ruined if I married Ron.

  Kay Scott : Well, I was being childish. You shouldn't have let me get away with it. Of course, that was different. You didn't really love him, did you?

• Dr. Hennessy : There's nothing organically wrong with you, Cary.

  Cary Scott : Well, then, why do have these headaches?