Far from Heaven (2002)

Release date: 2003-01-10
Country: USA|France
Language: English
Director: Todd Haynes
Production Co: Focus Features, Vulcan Productions, Killer Films
Genre: Drama
Rating: 7.3/10
Length: 1h 47min

Storyline

Cathy is the perfect 50s housewife, living the perfect 50s life: healthy kids, successful husband, social prominence. Then one night she stumbles in on her husband Frank, kissing another man, and her tidy world starts spinning out of control. In her confusion and grief, she finds consolation in the friendship of their African-American gardener, Raymond - a socially taboo relationship that leads to the further disintegration of life as she knew it. Despite Cathy and Frank's struggle to keep their marriage afloat, the reality of his homosexuality and her feelings for Raymond open a painful, if more honest, chapter in their lives.

Plot Keywords

gossip, domestic violence, unhappy marriage, closeted homosexual, hate crime, family relationships, racism, gay kiss, african american, art gallery, baltimore maryland, black man white woman relationship, black man white woman kiss, black man white woman romance, new year's eve, psychiatrist, widower, bar, police station, dancing

Short Review

With a classic storytelling style bordering on corniness, a deft tragicomic touch and a heroic refusal to use the safety net of irony, Haynes has managed to produce something of a gem.