Far from Heaven is a 2002 historical romantic drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes and starring Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid, Dennis Haysbert and Patricia Clarkson. Moore plays a 1950s housewife living in wealthy suburban Connecticut as she sees her seemingly perfect life begin to fall apart.
Haynes intended the film as an homage to the melodramas of Douglas Sirk (especially 1955's All That Heaven Allows, 1956's Written on the Wind, and 1959's Imitation of Life), which explored issues of social entrapment and taboo relationships. Haynes extended those subjects to include interracial love, gender roles, sexual orientation, and class in the context of 1950s America.
The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where Moore won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress, and cinematographer Edward Lachman won a prize for Outstanding Individual Contribution. Far from Heaven received numerous accolades, including four Academy Award nominations, including Best Actress for Moore and Best Original Screenplay. Moore was also nominated for a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award, while Quaid was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Plot
In 1957 suburban Connecticut, Cathy Whitaker seems to be the perfect wife, mother, and homemaker. Her husband, Frank, is an executive at Magnatech, a television advertising company. One evening, Cathy receives a phone call from the local police, who are holding Frank. When she picks him up, he says it is all a misunderstanding, but it turns out that he has been exploring the illicit underground world of gay bars in Hartford. In the midst of all of this, one day Cathy sees an unfamiliar black man walking in her yard. He turns out to be Raymond Deagan, the son of her late gardener, who is taking over his father's accounts.
Frank often stays late at the office. One night when he says he is working, Cathy decides to bring him dinner, and she walks in on him passionately kissing a man. He confesses to having had "problems" as a young man and agrees to sign up for conversion therapy. However, their relationship becomes strained, Frank's work suffers, and he increasingly turns to alcohol. Cathy runs into Raymond at a local art show and, to the consternation of onlookers, initiates a discussion with him about modern painting. After a party, Frank attempts to have sex with Cathy, but he is unable to become aroused and accidentally strikes her when she tries to console him.
The next day, Raymond catches Cathy crying and asks her to run some errands with him. She agrees, and they wind up going to a bar in a black neighborhood, where Cathy is the only white person present. They are seen together on the street by a gossipy acquaintance of Cathy's, and the woman immediately begins to stir up scandal. When Cathy attends her daughter's ballet performance, the mothers of the other girls shun her. Frank also hears about Cathy and Raymond and, in response to his anger, Cathy denies having an other-than-professional relationship with Raymond and says she has fired him to quell the rumors. She then tells Raymond that their friendship cannot continue, as it is not "plausible".
Cathy and Frank travel to Miami for New Year's to try to repair their marriage, but, at the hotel, Frank meets a young man and has another homosexual encounter. While they are gone, three white boys taunt and physically assault Raymond's daughter, Sarah, partly because of her father's rumored relationship with Cathy, and the girl is concussed by a rock thrown at her head.
Frank breaks down and tearfully tells Cathy that he has fallen in love with a man and wants a divorce. When Cathy learns what happened to Sarah, she visits Raymond, who says he is moving to Baltimore in two weeks, as the rumors have destroyed his business and led his African-American neighbors to throw rocks through his windows. When Cathy tells Raymond she is going to be single and asks if she can come visit him some time, he stoically, but gently, rejects her, saying he has learned his lesson and needs to do what is right for his daughter.
Cathy shows up at the train station to see Raymond off, and they silently wave to each other as the train leaves the station.
Cast
<!-- first 14 in the same order as in the opening titles of the film -->
Production
As recounted by the film's producer, Christine Vachon, in her 2006 autobiography, A Killer Life: How an Independent Film Producer Survives Deals and Disasters in Hollywood and Beyond', Haynes wrote the script for the film envisioning Moore and James Gandolfini as Cathy and Frank, respectively. While Moore joined the project immediately, Gandolfini was unavailable, due to his commitments to The Sopranos. Haynes' next choice, Russell Crowe, believed that the role was too small. The film's producers suggested Jeff Bridges for the role, but Bridges turned it down due to not meeting his financial demands.
Themes and analysis
Far From Heaven focuses on several controversial issues of the mid-twentieth century, such as racism and miscegenation, as well as views on homosexuality and escapism during that time period, and presents these issues through the and cinematographic conventions of a 1950s-style melodrama. Utilizing the nostalgic mechanisms of a polished, period melodrama, the film challenges the typical sanguine nature of the genre in an effort to highlight the central conflicts of its main characters, Cathy and Frank Whitaker, while also simultaneously shattering the wholesome image of American life during this time period, which is typically romanticized in American culture.
Racism and miscegenation
Throughout Far From Heaven, one of the central conflicts faced by the main protagonist Cathy Whitaker comes from her attraction towards Raymond Deagan, the son of her recently deceased gardener, and how it develops in the face of her estrangement from her husband, Frank Whitaker, as he deals with his developing homosexual tendencies.
Blue is often used in the film to represent Frank and Cathy's failing marriage, as in the scene in which Cathy receives a phone call from the Hartford police concerning Frank and his "loitering" and, later, when Frank and Cathy leave the psychiatrist's office after their first visit to try to curb Frank's homosexual tendencies. It is in the second of these moments that the only profanity in the entire film is used, by Frank towards Cathy, further demonstrating the coldness and bitterness he feels towards his wife, and perfectly in sync with the color palette that envelops them during this scene. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 based on 37 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Jonathan Rosenbaum called the film a masterpiece and considered it a companion of Haynes' earlier film Safe (1995) in its use of "the same talented actress to explore suburban alienation in comparably gargantuan consumerist surroundings". Regarding the casting of Raymond, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian wrote that "Haysbert brings a Poitier-esque dignity and poise."
In a mostly negative review, Stanley Kauffmann wrote in The New Republic that Julianne Moore “uses her gifts here to stay within the behavioral bounds of a Good Housekeeping mannequin":
<blockquote>
At the last we are left wondering why, in any case, an imitation Sirk was needed … Even with its latter-day (modified) frankness, Far From Heaven is only thin glamour that lacks a tacit wry base. Thus diminished, it can be tagged with a term that Susan Sontag once defined so well that she put it out of circulation: camp.
</blockquote>
The film was nominated in four categories at the 75th Academy Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Julianne Moore), Best Original Screenplay (Todd Haynes), Best Cinematography (Edward Lachman), and Best Original Score (Elmer Bernstein). At the Venice Film Festival, it was nominated for the Golden Lion, while Moore won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress and Lachman won a prize for Outstanding Individual Contribution.
In August 2016, BBC Magazine conducted a poll on the 21st century's 100 greatest films so far, with Far from Heaven ranking at number 86. In 2019, The Guardian ranked the film 13th in its list of the best films of the 21st century.
In other media
Theatrical songwriting team Scott Frankel and Michael Korie worked with Richard Greenberg on an Off Broadway-bound musical adaptation. The musical opened at Playwrights Horizons in Spring of 2013. Kelli O'Hara starred in the central role.
Awards and honors
The film did extraordinarily well in the Village Voices Film Critics' Poll of 2002, where Far from Heaven won for Best Picture, Moore for Best Lead Performance and Haynes for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Lachman's work in Far from Heaven also won Best Cinematography by a wide margin, while Quaid, Clarkson, and Haysbert were all recognized for their supporting performances, placing second, fourth, and ninth, respectively.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!align="left"|Year
!align="left"|Ceremony
!align="left"|Category
!align="left"|Recipients
!align="left"|Result
|-
|rowspan="4"|2002
|rowspan=4|Academy Awards
|Best Actress - Drama
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|Best Supporting Actor
|Dennis Quaid
|
|-
|Best Screenplay
|Todd Haynes
|
|-
|Best Original Score
|Elmer Bernstein
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|2002
|rowspan=2|Screen Actors Guild Awards
|Best Female Actor in a Leading Role
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role
|Dennis Quaid
|
|-
|rowspan="5"|2002
|rowspan=5|Independent Spirit Awards
|Best Feature
|Far From Heaven
|
|-
|Best Director
|Todd Haynes
|
|-
|Best Female Lead
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|Best Supporting Male
|Dennis Quaid
|
|-
|Best Cinematography
|Edward Lachman
|
|-
|2002
|Critics' Choice Movie Awards
|Best Actress
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|rowspan="7"|2002
|rowspan=7|Satellite Awards
|Best Film - Drama
|Far From Heaven
|
|-
|Best Director
|Todd Haynes
|
|-
|Best Actress - Drama
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|Best Supporting Actor - Drama
|Dennis Haysbert
|
|-
|Dennis Quaid
|
|-
|Best Screenplay - Original
|Todd Haynes
|
|-
|Best Cinematography
|Edward Lachman
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|2002
|rowspan=6|Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
|Best Picture
|Far From Heaven
|
|-
|Best Director
|Todd Haynes
|
|-
|Best Actress
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|Best Cinematography
|Edward Lachman
|
|-
|Best Music Score
|Elmer Bernstein
|
|-
|Best Production Design
|Mark Friedberg
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|2002
|rowspan=2|National Society of Film Critics Awards
|Best Supporting Actress
|Patricia Clarkson
|
|-
|Best Cinematography
|Edward Lachman
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|2002
|rowspan=6|New York Film Critics Circle Awards
|Best Film
|Far From Heaven
|
|-
|Best Director
|Todd Haynes
|
|-
|Best Actress
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|Best Supporting Actor
|Dennis Quaid
|
|-
|Best Supporting Actress
|Patricia Clarkson
|
|-
|Best Cinematography
|Edward Lachman
|
|-
|rowspan=80|2002
|rowspan="2"|Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 2002
|Best Actress
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|Best Cinematography
|Edward Lachman
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2002
|Best Film
|Far From Heaven
|
|-
|Best Director
|Todd Haynes
|
|-
|Best Actress
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|Best Supporting Actor
|Dennis Quaid
|
|-
|Best Cinematography
|Edward Lachman
|
|-
|Best Original Score
|Elmer Bernstein
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards 2002
|Best Actress
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|Best Cinematography
|Edward Lachman
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 2002
|Best Actress
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|Best Cinematography
|Edward Lachman
|
|-
|Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards 2002
|Best Actress
| rowspan="2" |Julianne Moore
|
|-
|National Board of Review Awards 2002
|Best Actress
|
|-
|rowspan="9"|Online Film Critics Society Awards 2002
|Best Picture
|Far From Heaven
|
|-
|Best Director
|Todd Haynes
|
|-
|Best Actress
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|Best Supporting Actor
|Dennis Quaid
|
|-
|Best Original Screenplay
|Todd Haynes
|
|-
|Best Cinematography
|Edward Lachman
|
|-
|Best Original Score
|Elmer Bernstein
|
|-
|Best Art Direction
|Peter Rogness<br>Ellen Christiansen
|
|-
|Best Costume Design
|Sandy Powell
|
|-
|rowspan="9"|Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards 2002
|Best Film
|Far From Heaven
|
|-
|Best Director
|Todd Haynes
|
|-
|Best Actress
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|Best Supporting Actor
|Dennis Quaid
|
|-
|Best Screenplay - Original
|Todd Haynes
|
|-
|Best Cinematography
|Edward Lachman
|
|-
|Best Original Score
|Elmer Bernstein
|
|-
|Best Production Design
|Peter Rogness<br>Ellen Christiansen
|
|-
|Best Costume Design
|Sandy Powell
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2002
|Best Film
|Far From Heaven
|
|-
|Best Actress
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards 2002
|Best Director
|Todd Haynes
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards 2002
|Best Actress
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|Best Screenplay - Original
| rowspan="2" |Todd Haynes
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2002
|Best Director
|
|-
|Best Actress
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|Best Supporting Actor
|Dennis Quaid
|
|-
|Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards 2002
|Best Actress
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|59th Venice International Film Festival
|Best Actress
|Julianne Moore
|
|-
|Best Supporting Actor
|Dennis Haysbert
|
|-
|Writers Guild of America Awards 2002
|Best Original Screenplay
|Todd Haynes
|
|}
The film is recognized by the American Film Institute in these lists:
- 2005: AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores – Nominated
Soundtrack
Far from Heaven was the last film scored by Elmer Bernstein. The soundtrack album's runtime is 46 minutes and 9 seconds.
- "Autumn in Connecticut" – 3:08
- "Mother Love" – 0:42
- "Evening Rest" – 1:52
- "Walking Through Town" – 1:49
- "Proof" – 1:01
- "The F Word" – 1:11
- "Party" – 0:55
- "Hit" – 2:42
- "Crying" – 1:11
- "Turning Point" – 4:46
- "Cathy and Raymond Dance" – 2:02
- "Disapproval" – 1:00
- "Walk Away" – 2:34
- "Orlando" – 0:56
- "Back to Basics" – 1:47
- "Stones" – 1:44
- "Revelation and Decision" – 4:21
- "Remembrance" – 1:56
- "More Pain" – 4:04
- "Transition" – 0:55
- "Beginnings" – 2:17
See also
- New Queer Cinema
- Douglas Sirk
References
Further reading
External links
- at Focus Features