Revolutionary Road (2009)

At one point or another in our lives, most of us have felt special and destined for great things. But as the years begin to pass by, and most of our dreams go unrealized, we start to see that we really weren’t that unique after all. This kind of reality check can be a bitter pill to swallow, and for some it’s simply too much to endure. Revolutionary Road, directed by Sam Mendes and based on the Richard Yates novel of the same name, deals head-on with such issues. For moviegoers haunted by the failures of their past, watching this film can be a rewarding, yet painful, experience.

The movie is set in 1955 and centered around the lives of April (Kate Winslet) and Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) Wheeler, a young couple who live with their two children on Revolutionary Road in an affluent Connecticut suburb. Frank commutes every day into New York City to a job he dislikes, while April stays home and chafes at being a housewife. They both feel they’re special and destined for more than this humdrum existence, so Frank and April eventually decide to move the family to Paris, France. This helps their struggling relationship for a time, but an unexpected pregnancy and a possible promotion for Frank threaten to stifle their dreams of a different, “better” life.

For a man, life in the ‘50s looked pretty darned great. You could smoke in the office, have a three martini lunch, and then seduce one of the new secretaries before going home to a meal prepared by your devoted wife. Sure, your liver or lungs would eventually turn to mush, but you’d have a great ride in the meantime. Beneath all the perks of the decade, however, there was a stifling need for conformity, and that’s the driving theme of Revolutionary Road. It’s about the war between big dreams and practicality, and what better setting for such a conflict than a street named after the anti-establishment spirit which helped start this country?

While the entire cast properly emotes, there’s little doubt that this is Kate Winslet’s film. The young girl from Titanic has grown into a beautiful woman, something which is exceeded only by her talent as an actress. Throughout Revolutionary Road, Winslet often conveys large amounts of information simply with a look. Two examples: as the curtain drops on a local play starring April, a quick glance into the audience tells us her performance was not what she would’ve hoped for; Frank tells his neighbor how much money his possible promotion is offering, eliciting a look of absolute betrayal when April realizes that her dreams of Paris are falling apart in front of her eyes. And then there’s her final scene, played out with no dialogue but still retaining a profound sense of sadness.

There are times, however, when I felt as though I was simply watching a lot of “acting” on the screen. Sure, the characters cry, rage, and try to make sense of their lives, but it doesn’t always seem completely genuine. I blame this on the Justin Haythe screenplay which sometimes sacrifices realistic dialogue for robust moments of conflict. It should be noted, however, that many viewers and critics praised the film’s dialogue, so you’ll ultimately need to watch the film and judge for yourself. These are only my opinions, and I’ve been known to be wrong in the past.

The scenes with John Givings (Michael Shannon) are fascinating to watch but almost seem out of place at times. John is a former mathematics whiz who suffered a nervous breakdown and got himself committed. Since he’s the son of the Wheeler’s real estate agent (played by Kathy Bates, yet another Titanic star), he’s invited to come over during a short leave from the hospital. He asks Frank and April blunt questions about their lives, much to the horror of his parents, but it’s his final appearance that really flirts with the absurd. During this scene, he heaps on the couple the kind of scorn generally reserved for mass murderers and child rapists. While it’s an interesting scene to watch unfold, I’m still uncertain as to its purpose. Frank and April suffer plenty as it is, so this verbal lambasting seemed a little much.

A few times during the movie, characters have impromptu sex in locations ranging from cars to kitchens. These encounters are passionate and brief, which leads me to something of a tangent. Have you ever noticed that many movie love scenes end with the male achieving orgasm in about 30 seconds? It makes me wonder if that’s common in real life, or if it’s mainly designed to keep the narrative from getting bogged down while the characters happily thrust away? Just once, I’d like to see a “love” scene in a film like this where the male has the stamina of a Ron Jeremy. Now that would make for some interesting viewing.

While it flirts with melodrama on a number of occasions, Revolutionary Road is a well-acted piece which will no doubt conjure up images of past triumphs and personal failures. Winslet demonstrates why she’s one of the greatest actresses working today, and her husband, Sam Mendes, does a steady job behind the camera. Just keep in mind that the film can be agonizingly depressing at times, so make sure you don’t pop it in after a dinner party. This is one film best watched in silence.