Come on. No matter how different the story is, how much you try to promote the seriousness of the movie or anything like that, the new movie Revolutionary Road is first the reunion of Kate and Leo. So let’s just accept that (“Except that what?”/”No, accept that”) and move on.
I don’t quite know what even to write about this one other than that Revolutionary Road was honestly one of the most terrifying and unsettling films I’ve seen in a very long time. When I see a movie, particularly dramas, I end up relating myself and my situation to what the characters are going through. In this case, this couple has fallen in love and moved to suburbia, like so many others do, to have that 2.5 children, immaculate lawn, Stepford wife existence. Frank is unsatisfied with the daily grind of his work, a job that has no real hope of making a difference let alone being mentally stimulating. April is a former soon-to-be actress who gives up her dreams to be a housewife with two kids who takes care of the home while hubby brings home the bacon. In short, it is a story about being trapped, or that is how I viewed it. Frank is trapped in a job he hates and April is trapped in a life she hates, one she never wanted. And it gets so bad that he ends up screwing around (“which is kinda like fooling around except without dinner”) and she ends up resenting and hating her husband and her children for the life she never gets to live.
The movie scared me. One of the things I think about a lot is where it is I’m heading, what I want out of life. Do I want the traditional marriage with kids or do I want something different? Do I want to work for corporate America and be successful (cause I would be) or do I want to work at something that might be more fulfilling but wouldn’t allow the kind of freedom to do other things I want to do? To see one option being played out to the worst of possibilities just really got to me. That feeling of being trapped in your situation, being tied down, having to sacrifice your dreams for someone else and then resenting them for it…it is all just very scary to me.
The movie itself was very good. The story obviously is strong. The filmmaking was strong also, the directing good, all of it was top notch. There is no denying that Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet have extraordinary chemistry and it is further props to them that they had that with Winslet’s husband two feet away during filming. There were definitely times, especially when the two were fighting (viciously fighting) that I wanted to shout out “Jack and Rose, stop it!” but for the most part, I was able to sink my Titanic memories and focus on the Road.
Overall, it was definitely thought-provoking and worth the price of admission. Scary though.
And – OMG, Kate and Leo are so cute!
Done now.
Have you read the book? it is definetly my favorite novel of all time. It’s not really about the suburbs themselves, but more what they represent to the characters; the idea of “settling down,” and what giving up on your true self does to you and everyone around you. Frank is tragic because he doesn’t have the courage to do what he truly wants. April is tragic because she isn’t happy with herself, so she can’t be happy with Frank. It’s really a timeless book, you should read it:)
Have you read this book? It is definetly my favorite novel of all time. It’s not so much about the suburbs, but what they represent to the characters; the idea of “settling down”, and what giving up on your true self and true passion does to you and the people around you. Frank is tragic because he doesn’t have the courage to go after the life he wants, but he’s kind of a character you fall in love with. April is tragic because she isn’t happy with herself, so she can’t be happy with Frank. It’s really a timeless book, you should definetly read it.
I love your Friends reference in the beginning…and then your Chicago reference later! Props to you for that 🙂
But also, I agree with your view on the themes of the story. I wrote an essay on this movie and you speak of much of the content. Well done!
It was a great movie – and the acting was brilliant. It related to my life – and I could feel the emotions of the woman as she struggled with being trapped. She could have still had an exciting life with all the extra money her husband would have made – but no – she screamed and roared at her poor husband. Now I wish that could have happened to my husband and he’d got promoted, then maybe I wouldn’t have had to work so hard. Some people are never satisfied. I know it was only a film – but it happens.