2002, Director Todd Haynes
Wonderful film exploring modern perceptions of 1950's
American life under the assumption that all was not
hunky dory in the
Leave it to Beaver universe. Haynes brings to light
homosexuality and
racism, two
topics likely not covered in the
Eisenhower canon of social commentary.
Cathy Whitaker (
Julianne Moore) plays a seemingly
naive upper class Connecticut woman, engrossed in
tea socials,
civic associations, and her
nosy,
superficial homemaker friends. All is well until her husband Frank Whitaker (
Dennis Quaid) begins to break under the strain of mysterious clues leading to a
double life. In showing a married man struggling with
homosexuality Haynes effectively captures a person in a
Faustian bargain, bound to convention and his family on one hand but also governed by
desire and
emotional hell. I can imagine the conflict Frank is going through to an extent (without the affairs and risky sexual behavior). It's hard to "
keep up appearances" while slipping away from mental well being.
Into the scene comes Raymond Deagan (
Dennis Haysbert), the son of the deceased family
gardener,
college educated but unable to advance due to being
African-American. Raising his daughter Sarah (
Jordan Puryear) alone as a
widower he is the match for a lonely woman falling fast into a pit of
deceit.
Racism rivals
homophobia as a potent destructive force in the film. Frank's inability to love his wife is
mirrored by the
blossoming love between Cathy and Raymond. The film develops through turns to weave both topics into a slower paced but intellectually complex combination.
This is not a
movie for
Bruce Willis fans or those
addicted to the latest in
computer cinematography. In fact, the film is designed to ape 1950s
sets,
techniques, and
characterization. What the viewer will find is great cast development, tackling of very hard issues in a forceful but concise way, and a
heart wrenching romance that shows how even in the
shittiest of
circumstances people can love one another in a very
profound way.
This is one of those
tear apart the sofa for change films.