Movie Review: 'Revolutionary Road' a powerful snapshot of 1950s life

Plays such as "Death of a Salesman" and novels from "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" to "Peyton Place" and "Lolita" were works that took hard, sometimes quite uncomfortable, looks at the dark side of the American dream as it manifested itself in the post-WWII 1950s.

Most of these dramatic pieces could have been prefaced with the opening lines of another classic, "A Tale of Two Cities." For many people living through the era, the '50s were, indeed, "the best of times, the worst of times."

Richard Yates' 1961 cult classic novel "Revolutionary Road" fits into the same category. It examines a 1950s marriage under an unflinching microscope, and what we see are many devastating truths. While "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" was published in 1955 and made into a film a year later, it's taken nearly half a century for "Revolutionary Road" to migrate to the silver screen. The result is one of the best films of the year (technically released in 2008, it has been nominated for three Oscars).

Director Sam Mendes is no stranger to the subject matter. His 1999 film "American Beauty" was set in modern times but dealt with many of the same themes and won five Oscars including Best Direction, Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Mendes was a the logical choice to direct "Revolutionary Road." His wife, Kate Winslet, puts in another powerhouse performance on the heels of "The Reader."

Many moviegoers have been anxiously awaiting a repairing of Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio (who is great here as well) after their heart-tugging romance in "Titanic." While that film had its share of tragedy, the kind of sad desperation that permeates the couple's romantic involvement in "Revolutionary Road" is much darker.

In a series of short flashbacks, we see how Frank and April Wheeler met several years earlier at a party. They hit it off immediately and both thought they completely understood the other. As the viewer - and the couple - find as the film unfolds, this isn't quite the case.

They move to the suburbs outside of Manhattan, have a couple of kids and Frank gets a job at the company where his dad worked (it's a boring job and Frank hates it), while April stays home and raises the kids. It becomes increasingly more apparent that while April is a good mother, she has a lot more on her mind.

Everybody smokes cigarettes constantly and everybody drinks - even at lunch on workdays.

On his 30th birthday, the sexually restless Frank takes a girl from the office secretarial pool to lunch. After a good number of martinis, they end up in bed together.

April has her own sexual desires that come to fruition later in the film.

Sensing their life is not on the path they had hoped for, April has a solution: Frank can quit his job and they will move the family to Paris. Frank had been there during the war and loves the city. April speaks French, can get a job as a translator for the state department and Frank can take some time off to pursue his other, more satisfying interests.

Frank resists at first but after some thought decides it's an acceptable idea.

Plans are made. Boxes are packed. Neighbors and co-workers, through a haze of cigarette smoke and booze, join in the celebration. The rather busy-bodyish real estate agent Helen Givings (the always impeccable Kathy Bates) puts the house up for sale.

But then, through a fluke, Frank is offered a big promotion and a substantial raise in pay. And April finds out she is pregnant. Neither she nor Frank had planned for a third child and Frank seizes the opportunity to use that (not his promotion) as an excuse to put off the Paris move. April doesn't see why that's necessary.

Nor does John Givings, Helen's son who is home for a visit from the mental institution where he resides. The series of electroconvulsive shock treatments John has received have had the side effect of making the man tell the absolute truth without regard to the consequences. Actor Michael Shannon nearly steals the entire movie (no small feat with a cast this good), and it's a shame he will not be getting the Supporting Actor Oscar that is already pre-ordained for Heath Ledger as the Joker in "The Dark Knight."

The climax of "Revolutionary Road" is powerful and disturbing and, while the film will never be called the "feel good hit of the season," it's a great movie that will be considered a companion piece to Mendes' classic "American Beauty."

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield freelance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.[[In-content Ad]]