Release and Critical Reaction
Sirk's Imitation of Life premiered in New York City on April 17, 1959, and Universal put the film into general release on April 30. Though it was not well-reviewed upon its original release — many critics derided the film as a "soap opera" — Imitation of Life was the fourth most successful motion picture of 1959, grossing $6.4 million dollars. Imitation of Life was Universal-International's top-grossing film that year, and remained Universal's most successful film until the release of Airport in 1970.
Today, Imitation of Life has been re-evaluated by critics and is now held up as a masterpiece of Douglas Sirk's directing style. Sirk provided the Annie–Sarah Jane relationship in his version with more screen time and more intensity than the original versions of the story, and critics later commented that Juanita Moore and Susan Kohner stole the film from Turner. Sirk later admitted that he had deliberately and subversively undercut Turner to draw focus towards the problems of the two black characters. Both Moore and Kohner were nominated for the 1959 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the 1959 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. While neither actress won the Oscar, Kohner won the Golden Globe award. Moore won second place in the category of Top Female Supporting Performance at the 1959 Laurel Awards, and the film itself won Top Drama. Douglas Sirk was nominated for the 1959 Directors Guild of America Award.
Imitation of Life later became a staple of both the American Movie Classics and Turner Classic Movies cable television networks. Both versions of the film were issued in 2003 on a double-sided DVD from Universal Home Entertainment; a two-disc set of the films was issued by Universal in 2008. Madman Entertainment's Directors Suite label in Australia has released a three disc DVD set, including also the John M. Stahl original Imitation of Life. Todd Haynes' Far from Heaven (2002) is an homage to Sirk's work, in particular All That Heaven Allows. The 1969 Diana Ross & the Supremes song "I'm Livin' in Shame" and the 2001 R.E.M. song "Imitation of Life" are based upon this film.
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