The 1950s -- how perfectly marvelous. A decade of illusion and suffocating attention to the nuclear family, a decade in which everything seemed as bright and sunny as the Technicolor that characterized its movies. At least, according to Todd Haynes' "Far From Heaven," which dismantles the illusions and turns the American dream into a nightmare. Aw, jeez.
The 1950s defined America with cheery suburban family life. The reaction? Two decades characterized by hallucinogens and aggressive rock and roll. An oversimplification, certainly, but clearly the goody-goody illusions of the 1950s left a deep impression on America's psyche.
Following the cue of 1950s throwback "The Man Who Wasn't There," the picture-perfect family crashes from its pedestal to its grave in "Far from Heaven." Unlike the Coen brothers' homage to film noir, Haynes' film is inspired by the sociocritical American melodramas of the 1950s, particularly Douglas Sirk's films, and especially Sirk's "All That Heaven Allows" (1955). Whereas "The Man Who Wasn't There" has a ball deadpanning its genre, "Far From Heaven" focuses more on an accurate revision of its inspiration, but not without its own tongue-in-cheek fun.
Julianne Moore ("Safe," "Boogie Nights") stars as Cathy Whitaker, the perfect mother/wife/upstanding citizen of Hartford, Conn. Her husband Frank, played by Dennis Quaid ("The Rookie," "Traffic"), is a closet homosexual finally tuning in to his repressed desires. The couple, known in the community as "Mr. and Mrs. Magnatech" thanks to Frank's role as successful business executive, seem as happy as can be, with two preteen kids, a beautiful home and a respected position in the community.
As Frank withdraws increasingly from his wife, she pursues a friendship with her black gardener, Raymond (Dennis Haysbert from "24"). The community shakes its head in indignant disapproval and make Cathy's, Frank's and Raymond's lives miserable, as well as the lives of their children. It's a downward spiral, as Frank's "treatment" for heterosexual conversion fails to work effectively and Cathy and Raymond become even closer.
The movie takes great care in accurately mimicking the tropes of the original 1950s melodramas, particularly in cinematography and acting. Moore does an impeccable job with her dramatic close-ups, frequently gazing into the distance in desperation, and her character is dead on, right out of a Sirk film. Keeping a cheery smile on her face at all times, even after being physically hurt by her husband, Cathy maintains the illusion of contentment as competently as her maid maintains the Whitaker house.
Kudos to Haynes for attempting a critical melodrama in an age of critical cynicism, but whether the film is effective or not really depends on the viewer. "Far From Heaven" does its job, but it does it self-consciously, and it's hard to know how to take it in the cultural landscape of the 21st century. Just as film has changed since the 1950s, so has its audience.
Why this displacement into 2002? Interestingly, "All That Heaven Allows" depicts a relationship between an older woman (a widow) and a younger man (her gardener) wreaking havoc on the town community. But homosexuality and race have no place in the Sirk classic. Either one would have been too much for the movie's audience.
"Far From Heaven" explores both issues extensively, using 1950s-era mentality. Unfortunately, perceptions have not changed much since then, and taboos, although constantly challenged, still are, for the most part, in place. Thus, "Far From Heaven" remains very relevant to the 21st century.
Haynes' film is by no means a parody of 50s-era film, which often subtly criticized its subjects; rather "Far From Heaven" uses 50s-era attitudes to examine some of the problems faced by Americans today. Audiences may cringe as they listen to a doctor list of methods (e.g., shock treatment) to overcome homosexuality; they may snort in disbelief as they hear good-hearted Cathy condescend to Raymond, "Because you know, I'm not prejudiced
." But these moments beg the question of just how much more informed and tolerant we as a society are today.
To be sure, some moments of the film are hokey and dripping with melodrama. All of them are intentional, though some come off more silly than convincing, which is regrettable.
As a movie, "Far From Heaven," while beautifully filmed and very well made, is not especially interesting or emotionally gripping. As an object attempting to parallel two very different moments in American culture, however, the film is relevant, provocative and largely successful. Unfortunately, that does not automatically translate into a memorable film-going experience, and so "Far From Heaven" fails to live up to the potential it creates for itself.
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