Far from Heaven | Patricia Clarkson, Dennis Haysbert | Far from true but, a beautiful movie anyway

Far from Heaven | Patricia Clarkson, Dennis Haysbert | Far From Heaven

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Far from Heaven

	Far from Heaven Patricia Clarkson, Dennis Haysbert Universal Studios, 2003 average customer review:based on 217 reviews view larger image
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This uniquely beautiful film--from one of the smartest and most idiosyncratic of contemporary directors, Todd Haynes (Safe, Velvet Goldmine)--takes the lush 1950s visual style of so-called women's pictures (particularly those of Douglas Sirk, director of Imitation of Life and Magnificent Obsession) to tell a story that mixes both sexual and racial prejudice. Julianne Moore, an amazing fusion of vulnerability and will power, plays a housewife whose husband (Dennis Quaid) has a secret gay life. When she finds solace in the company of a black gardener (Dennis Haysbert), rumors and peer pressure destroy any chance she has at happiness. It's astonishing how a movie with such a stylized veneer can be so emotionally compelling; the cast and filmmakers have such an impeccable command of the look and feel of the genre that every moment is simultaneously artificial and deeply felt. Far from Heaven is ingenious and completely engrossing. --Bret Fetzer

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Far from true but, a beautiful movie anyway

I don't think, in reality, that the 50's era was all that innocent. After all, homosexuals and negroes have always been with us. Like, June Cleaver cleaned her TV house wearing pearls and a skirt, stocking, heels, and a neat sweater set and perfectly styled hair with pearl earrings. Have you every seen your mother clean all dressed up? Of course not, because it's make believe. Like the movies, or anything for that matter. It's all a facade. But, that's why we used to go to the movies, to get away from reality, were the people are pretty and dressed nice and are polite to each other, throw in some melodrama and you got some good popcorn munching entertainment. And the handsome black man in this movie had his own business, was well dressed, well spoken, a widower, with a young daughter. He was probably lonely, missing his wife, and he meets a lovely, well spoken white women, who is also lonely, missing her husband. They have similiar interests, he pays attention to her, maybe going to the all black lounge was a bad idea, they should have gotten something to go instead. They could have been more discreet, but then, we wouldn't have the melodrama. Loved the fashions from that era, women actually looked like woman. Loved the cars, too. Just take this for what it is, not social commentary, just pure entertainment. Don't over analyze, just enjoy.

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Far From Heaven

An excellent, well acted movie. Women will probably enjoy this more than men...I know I will keep watching it every so often over the years...

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.

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a fabulously filmed story

from the beginning of the movie you are drawn into the over-the-top
colorful world of suburbia 1950's. i know the director& designers
deliberately parodied the technicolor movie genres of the time period
but their interpretation just blew me away. juilianna moore and dennis quaid were remarkable in creating their characters for whom i felt both sympathy & shared frustration. the only drawback to the whole film for me was the treatment of the children,mostly by their mother. while i understand the 'seen not heard' concept & the fact that the wife was trying to protect her husband from any household upset, i think these kids would probably have spent most of their adult lives in therapy due
to the total lack of emotional empathy given to them by both of their parents. that having been said, this movie is still one of my top 10 all time favourites.

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