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It may be, darlings, but actually I prefer the one in 1965's "Doctor Zhivago." It comes early on, and is a haunting, poetic with music and choral singing and a superb sense of viewing death from the eyes of a child.
Now, the above, is from Douglas Sirk's 1959 redo of "Imitation Of Life," one example where the remake becomes the definitive version. Annie Johnson, played by the great Juanita Moore, has sacrificed her life for her daughter, Sarah Jane Johnson, so she can pass for white. This, after the child from an early age, disses her and breaks her heart. Well, Annie dies of that broken heart, but what no one knows is she has been putting money away so she can have the funeral of funerals.
And does she ever! Oh, my God, girls, marching bands, pounding drums, trumpets everywhere, and the voice of the great Mahalia Jaackson singing "Trouble In The World," as the biggest hearse in history carries Annie's coffin down the main street of the town.
But, wait! The whole thing is capped by a now repentant Sarah Jane (Susan Kohner, who received an Oscar nomination) weeping and wailing alongside her mother's coffin, expressing sorrow now for the way she treated her mother. Too little too late, Missy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lana Turner, who plays a glamorous stage actress, and Sandre Dee, playing her entitled blonde daughter with the pink princess phone I always wanted, pull Sarah Jane in the car with them. They should have left her on the street, for how she treated her mother. Breaking her heart, killing her by running off to Vegas to become a cheap showgirl! Not even I did that, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great or not, this funeral scene has to be seen to be believed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Like the song in "Chicago" says, "If you're good to Mama, Mama is good to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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