If it wasn't for the awards this film has been nominated for and received, I would not have gone to see it. Frankly I could have waited and seen it on cable. It is very interesting and succeeds admirably as a period piece (more on this later) but aside from the excellent acting by the adult cast, it did not leave that much of an impression. Yes, people had difficult situations to deal with and mistakes were made, but it didn't take Todd Haynes to tell me that discrimination against persons of color is wrong and that gay people are who they are and do not benefit from shaming and/or `curing.' Perhaps this was aimed at viewers who need to hear the message again. The problem is that those who most need to hear it are not likely to be in the audience.
As mentioned previously, the acting is top notch, at least by the adults. Lindsay Andretta is pretty good as the daughter, but I think the part of the son could have been done a little better. Also, there is an anomaly in imdb's listing, unless the part was played by someone like Joe C. The actor seems to be a boy of no more than 12, but imdb lists him as having played a sound engineer in the 1988 film Madame Sousatzka, two years before he was born, by my estimation.
My initial reaction to Far from Heaven was a burning desire to know how accurately the film depicted the late 50s. There were some senior citizens in front of me in the theater and I made so bold as to ask their opinion. Their consensus was that it was quite accurate, with the exception of the long, full skirts that Julianne Moore wears throughout the film. One woman volunteered the information that she had respected the few people she knew at that time who were brave enough to sustain an inter-racial relationship in the face of such adversity. The only people she knew in that category were high in academic (read liberal) circles. My mother has not seen the film, but confirmed the tendencies toward propriety, formality and slower patterns of speech, as seen in the film.
Overall, Far from Heaven is a good film, deserving of some attention, but so far, my choice of best picture of 2002 is White Oleander. Best actress (or at least a nominee) should come from that picture as well.
As mentioned previously, the acting is top notch, at least by the adults. Lindsay Andretta is pretty good as the daughter, but I think the part of the son could have been done a little better. Also, there is an anomaly in imdb's listing, unless the part was played by someone like Joe C. The actor seems to be a boy of no more than 12, but imdb lists him as having played a sound engineer in the 1988 film Madame Sousatzka, two years before he was born, by my estimation.
My initial reaction to Far from Heaven was a burning desire to know how accurately the film depicted the late 50s. There were some senior citizens in front of me in the theater and I made so bold as to ask their opinion. Their consensus was that it was quite accurate, with the exception of the long, full skirts that Julianne Moore wears throughout the film. One woman volunteered the information that she had respected the few people she knew at that time who were brave enough to sustain an inter-racial relationship in the face of such adversity. The only people she knew in that category were high in academic (read liberal) circles. My mother has not seen the film, but confirmed the tendencies toward propriety, formality and slower patterns of speech, as seen in the film.
Overall, Far from Heaven is a good film, deserving of some attention, but so far, my choice of best picture of 2002 is White Oleander. Best actress (or at least a nominee) should come from that picture as well.