Far from Heaven

In Far from Heaven, Cathy Whitaker (Julianne Moore) is living a charmed life in Connecticut during the 1950s. She’s the wife of a successful television ad salesman (Dennis Quaid) and the mother of a perfect pair of children, a boy and a girl, who are bright and well mannered. As the film opens, pictures of her beautiful house are about to be featured in an article about her charmed life in a local paper. Even her best friend Eleanor (Patricia Clarkson) can’t help but gush at how perfect things are for Cathy. It is then that disaster strikes: While surprising her husband at the office with dinner, she finds him kissing another man. Devastated by the experience, Cathy’s world starts crumbling as her remorseful husband starts therapy to control his homosexual impulses. She soon finds herself drawn to the sympathetic ear of her gardener, Raymond (Dennis Haysbert). Unfortunately for Cathy, Raymond is black, and soon she’s the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

Heaven has been described by indie director Todd Haynes as a homage, in part, to the films of Douglas Sirk, a German immigrant who directed several popular films dealing with “women’s issues” in the 50s including Imitation of Life with Lana Turner, Written on the Wind with Lauren Bacall and Rock Hudson, and Magnificent Obsession and All That Heaven Allows, both of which feature Hudson alongside Jane Wyman. There is much debate in the film community about how successful Haynes’s intentions are with his film when compared to the themes and performances in Sirk’s films, and, having seen none of films listed above, I would not even attempt to enter an opinion on the subject. However, as a film, it is a wonderful confection of style and substance, with style winning out just slightly. There has not been a film released this year that is filmed with such vibrant colors and attention to detail. The period has been meticulously recreated from the costumes and hairstyles, to the houses and the cars. Even the dialogue, with one notable and jarring exception, is typically 50s. The film even uses a hallmark from a time when special effects weren’t so special—cheesy back projection shots. It’s a kick to see people driving in front of fake backdrops again.

Foremost, Haynes has provided a showcase for some great actors to do great work. Ms. Moore, who has played the housewife before for Haynes in the indie flick Safe, is the surest bet for a Best Actress Oscar nomination. An actress who has given complex and passionate performances in the past, Moore has a juicy vehicle in Cathy Whitaker’s transformation from passive housewife to human being. Mr. Haysbert, seen weekly on the Fox hit 24, gives Raymond some dimension and depth. Ms. Clarkson, an actress who has taken supporting roles in films such as High Art, The Green Mile, and Simply Irresistible, also deserves Oscar consideration. Her final betrayal of Cathy is devastating to watch. Viola Davis, who also starred in the recently ignored Solaris, registers in her brief role as the Whitaker’s maid, Sybil. But it’s Mr. Quaid’s performance that is the real surprise here. Nothing against him, but between last year’s performance in The Rookie and his work here, it has proven to be a banner year for the actor. Quaid has never been better, partially because his past choice of roles has not allowed him the luxury. His subtle and complex work here is screaming for recognition.

Sirk comparisons aside, Haynes has made an enjoyable melodrama with an eye on the past and some wonderful performances. It is a giant leap creatively for a man whose first film, Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story reenacted the late singer’s life solely with Barbie dolls. From that film, to 1990’s Poison, to Safe and The Velvet Goldmine, an homage to the Glam Rock period in 1970s England, Haynes continues to take chances with his work. After all, who thought that a recreation of 1950s melodrama with 21st century sensibilities would actually work, let alone be showered with praise and awards?

Submitted 19 January 03. Posted 20 February 03.