Far from Heaven (2002)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Todd Haynes

Writer (WGA):

Todd Haynes (written by)

Release Date:

22 November 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

What imprisons desires of the heart?

Plot:

In 1950s Connecticut, a housewife faces a marital crisis and mounting racial tensions in the outside world.

Plot Keywords:

1950s | Gardener | Marriage | Homosexuality | Housewife

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 73 wins & 35 nominations

Cast

Julianne Moore	...	Cathy Whitaker
Dennis Quaid	...	Frank Whitaker
Dennis Haysbert	...	Raymond Deagan
Patricia Clarkson	...	Eleanor Fine
Viola Davis	...	Sybil
James Rebhorn	...	Dr. Bowman
Bette Henritze	...	Mrs. Leacock
Michael Gaston	...	Stan Fine
Ryan Ward	...	David Whitaker
Lindsay Andretta	...	Janice Whitaker
Jordan Puryear	...	Sarah Deagan
Kyle Timothy Smith	...	Billy Hutchinson (as Kyle Smyth)
Celia Weston	...	Mona Lauder
Barbara Garrick	...	Doreen
Olivia Birkelund	...	Nancy

Also Known As:

Loin du paradis (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements, sexual content, brief violence and language.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Canada:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-7 | France:U | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIA | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Singapore:NC-16 (original rating) | South Korea:12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #39061) | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Bayonne, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Focus Features

Trivia:

Julianne Moore was the one who suggested that her character had to be blonde. Todd Haynes disagreed at first, but later told her she was right. So he had to do some changes in the film, like the color of the scarf, in order to fit that.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The IBM Selectric typewriter seen in the Magnotronics office were first introduced in 1961.

Quotes:

[Studying a Miró painting]
Raymond Deagan: So, what's your opinion on modern art?
Cathy Whitaker: It's hard to put into words, really. I just know what I care for and what I don't. Like this... I don't know how to pronounce it... Mira?
Raymond Deagan: Miró.
Cathy Whitaker: Miró. I don't know why, but I just adore it. The feeling it gives. I know that sounds terribly vague.
Raymond Deagan: No. No, actually, it confirms something I've always wondered about modern art. Abstract art.
Cathy Whitaker: What's that?
Raymond Deagan: That perhaps it's just picking up where religious art left off, somehow trying to show you divinity. The modern artist just pares it down to the basic elements of shape and color. But when you look at that Miró, you feel it just the same.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in My Big Fat Independent Movie (2005)

Soundtrack:

Eagan's Jukebox

Boring, dull, vacuous, showed no insights

The reviewers had written very positively about this film so I went with high hopes. Possibly too high, particularly when Hollywood is producing poor quality films aimed simply at getting butts on seats. So this is supposed to be a return to quality stuff is it ? Sure it had lovely sets, costume, shots but where were the real characters ? Where were the insights into human behaviour ? It brought nothing new to me at all and I couldn't fathom what it was saying at all. Simply because it was saying nothing. All the characters was far too simple as were the scenes, dialogue and structure. And don't start lecturing me that this is how it was in the 50's. I grew up in that decade and saw films like 'Look Back in Anger', 'On the Waterfront' and 'Rear Window'. Surely what was needed was to bring more characterisation and development of the story, not less. Heaven help us all if this is seen as Hollywood getting serious.