Far from Heaven (2002)

Disappointing
It's "Leave it to Beaver" with Ward as a closeted gay man and June in love with her black gardener. Julianne Moore's character is so stereotypically 1950s perfect housewife, that for the first 30 minutes I wasn't sure if the film was supposed to be a comedy. Moore's character is impeccable, with a 20 inch waist and stellar hostessing skills. She makes June Cleaver look like Roseanne Connor. In fact, the film is almost completely centered around the wife. I was hoping for a film that delved more deeply into the world of a closeted family man in the 1950s. For those of us living in the 21st century it's hard to imagine what that could be like. It failed to live up to my expectations. At first the film provides an extra treat--the movie portrays an unexpected interracial relationship between the wife and the black gardener (played by the Allstate Insurance guy). What could be more interesting--a film set in the 1950s that takes on two taboo storylines? As the wife's story unfolded I was hoping to see how her life and the life of her gay husband weave together. Unfortunately, the filmmakers fall short. The gay storyline comes to a dead halt once the wife and the gardener establish a "friendship." Instead of interlacing the storylines of the husband's relationship with another man and the wife's relationship with a black man, we get only the wife's story. The husband virtually disappears from screen. In fact, at the end of the film, the husband is seen in a romantic and committed relationship with another man, although we have no idea where they met or how he was able to handle such a transition in his life, especially in 1957. The film is only 100 minutes, so there was ample time for the filmmakers to have juxtaposed the two storylines. Although the film is well acted and interesting, I was disappointed for the wasted effort. I would rather watch reruns of "Leave it to Beaver" than see this film again.

Easy to overlook
On first glance this film does seem like it is borrowing too heavily or is some sort of vanity piece. Having seen this piece a few years ago and upon repeat viewing (very recently) I really had a much, much deeper appreciation. Of note were how the "characters" were stuck living up to society's expectations and how that really came to be at odds with who they were as people. This DVD is definitely worth owning, especially for that cold winter day when you want to relax with the television and enjoy a hot chocolate.

Easy to overlook
On first glance this film does seem like it is borrowing too heavily or is some sort of vanity piece. Having seen this piece a few years ago and upon repeat viewing (very recently) I really had a much, much deeper appreciation. Of note were how the "characters" were stuck living up to society's expectations and how that really came to be at odds with who they were as people. This DVD is definitely worth owning, especially for that cold winter day when you want to relax with the television and enjoy a hot chocolate.