Far From Heaven

Far From Heaven brings back to life the family melodramas from the 1950s by Douglas Sirk, especially All That Heaven Allows. The perfectly furnished house, the beautiful clothes, the clean streets and bright Technicolor that completes the wonderful production design, contrast starkly with the inner worries of the protagonists, just as they should. The Whitakers look like an ideal American family. The man of the house (Quaid) sells televisions. The protected life of Cathy (Julianne Moore, earlier seen in Haynes’ Safe, won the best actress award at Venice) revolves around the housekeeping, her two young children and – of course – her husband. The first cracks in all that perfection start to emerge when Frank is no longer able to suppress his feelings for men. When his wife catches him out some time, she remains determined to save her marriage, even if only for the outside world. Frank has to have therapy. In the meantime, Cathy finds solace in her conversations with her gardener Raymond, a well educated Negro. The small community is disgusted by this interracial friendship. Far From Heaven looks like a real Sirk, but is about subjects that Sirk was not allowed to examine at the time (discrimination and homosexuality). At the same time, the film is topical, because its many layers make you reflect on all kinds of contemporary prejudices.