This entry was originally posted on January 19, 2009 and has been edited.
Ah, the joys of marriage exposed for all to see and cringe over. Revolutionary Road may earn the title of the "feel bad" movie of 2008. After I left the theater, I thought about the film for at least an hour and felt very sad. However, any film that makes me feel something (other than sleepy) is worth seeing, in my opinion. The film reinforced my belief that for some people (maybe many people), it is better to be unhappy than it is to be alone. Why are so many of us afraid to be alone for any length of time? Having a committed relationship is a wonderful thing, but if you are miserable, why stay in the relationship and risk totally ruining it forever and, perhaps, burning bridges when the fallout finally comes? And it will come. Since Revolutionary Road is set in the 1950's, I can understand why the primary couple stayed together. After all, divorce was not as common then and some women felt trapped in the marriage because they had been socialized to be subordinate to their husbands and if the wife did not work or have credit established, then it would be far more difficult for her to start over, on her own. In addition, women did not start entering the work force in large numbers until the 1970's, when discrimination against women was more "acceptable" and, of course, women would earn less than men did in the same profession. This is still true in many respects 30 plus years later.
The marriage that is dissected in Revolutionary Road is shared by Frank and April Wheeler. Frank is the family breadwinner who goes to work every day to a job that he hates, so that his wife and two children can live comfortably in the nice suburban home and maintain a certain social status. The marriage is already on the rocks as the film begins and viewers learn from April's point of view, toward the end of the film, that one of the reasons she married Frank was because he paid attention to her. That attention eventually led to marriage and two children, but were they ever really happy together, or were they just tired of being single? That is the resounding question asked by this film. Kate Winslet (The Reader) won a Golden Globe for Lead Actress for her performance and she is amazing as the put-upon wife and mother trying desperately to keep her family together, but never acknowledging the real problems that she is confronted with every day. Her character is stronger than I would have expected, but she is not strong enough to take the necessary steps to change her life for the better. Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed) also delivers a knock-out performance as Frank, but he has not received the same accolades that Winslet has received.
Ably supporting Winslet and DiCaprio are Kathy Bates (Misery) as Helen, a very polite realtor whose son, John (portrayed by Bug's Michael Shannon), has a history of emotional problems. Michael Shannon literally steals the scenes in which he appears, and despite his mental illness, which has been made worse by the electro-shock therapy that he has been subjected too, his grasp of the world around him is remarkable. While his character may not be on emotionally equal footing with everyone else, he is incapable of withholding any of his opinions about Frank and April's marriage and his observations are so true and accurate that his lines could have been used as narration for the film.
I suspect some potential viewers may avoid Revolutionary Road due to its emotionally draining subject matter, but if you enjoy great movies with exceptional acting, then you need to see this film. At nearly two hours, the film may seem a bit long, as we see early on that the marriage is disintegrating, but it is very well paced and has no wasted scenes, thanks to director Sam Mendes. If nothing else, Revolutionary Road may encourage you to take an honest look at your own relationships and gauge your own level of happiness.
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