Room at the Top

Drama | English | 115 minutes

Info

Joe Lampton, an ambitious young man, moves from his dreary hometown of Dufton, in Yorkshire, England, to the more upscale Warnley. There he gets a secure but dead-end government job. Planning to advance even higher, Joe woos Susan Brown, the daughter of the local industrial executive. But Joe also begins to see Alice Aisgill, an unhappily married Frenchwoman ten years older than Joe.Just when the relationship with Alice becomes passionate, Joe finds out that Susan is pregnant. Susan’s father compels Joe to marry his daughter promising him a high-paying job at his factory. When Joe breaks the news to Alice, she gets drunk at the local pub; while driving home Alice is killed in a car crash. After the wedding, Susan and Joe drive off. In the car, Susan raves about how beautiful it was. But Joe can only think about Alice as tears well up in his eyes. Yes, Joe reached the top but his guilt will probably stay with him for the rest of his life.

Cast

Simone Signoret (Alice Aisgill) / Laurence Harvey (Joe Lampton) / Heather Sears (Susan Brown)

Why Stream This Film?

Room at the Top was the first film directed by Jack Clayton, who went on to become one of Britain’s most successful, receiving praise from directors Martin Scorsese, François Truffaut, and Steven Spielberg.

Rotten Tomatoes Score (Critics Consensus): 100%
Metacritic Score: 84

Accolades

Academy Awards: Winner, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Simone Signoret); Best Adapted Screenplay (Neil Paterson)
BAFTA Awards: Winner, Best Film; Best Foreign Actress (Simone Signoret)
Cannes Film Festival: Winner, Best Actress (Simone Signoret)
Room at the Top received a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score

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