Unable to cope with a rocky marriage and unwanted pregnancy, Emily soon escapes to Hollywood, leaving her baby daughter in John's care.

She initially enjoys the attention and social status she gets as Dutch's wife, but rejects his idea that they move to St. Louis so he could join his family's business.

Rita wants her mother to stay with her permanently, but Laureen insists on returning home to her simple life of attending church, caring for her sick brother, and helping her sister-in-law run the family store.

[5] According to an article published by Turner Classic Movies, "Some critics have conjectured that The Goddess was based on the career of Ava Gardner, but most think its primary model was Marilyn Monroe, who studied at the Actors Studio at the same time Stanley did.

"[6] The Goddess was filmed, in part, in Ellicott City, Maryland, which serves as childhood home of Emily Ann and provides the backdrop for the opening and closing scenes.

[10] In his June 25, 1958 review, Bosley Crowther of The New York Times calls The Goddess "a shattering, but truly potent, film, in which a lot of characters are groping for the fulfillment they cannot seem to find".

Crowther adds that scriptwriter Chayefsky "has studied his subject thoughtfully, for the meshing of human contacts and emotional relations is clear and sound.

[13] Conversely, in an article for TCM, authors Mikita Brottman and David Sterritt criticize the work as having "a stilted pace, underwritten minor characters, and a mood that's much too solemn".