Far From Heaven (2002)

This film truly en-captured the authentic look of those Hollywood classic films from the 1950s.
Kathleen 'Cathy' Whitaker (Julianne Moore, brilliant) is the typical 1950s housewife, juggling the children, husband, household and her philanthropy. She and her husband, Frank (Dennis Quaid) are an It-couple as he has a successful job working in advertising. But he has sort of a drinking problem, but probably no one, though I already knew the basic plot, excepted to see him making out with a man in his office, late at night. Cathy thought she was being sweet, bringing dinner to her husband at work, and that is the sight she sees. Frank is ashamed of feeling that way, and it isn't acceptable to society and is still considered a mental disorder at the time. Frank certainly does try to get help, meeting with a therapist.
Meanwhile, Cathy's life appears in a society magazine and she becomes a minor celebrity and develops a friendship with her new gardener, Raymond Deagan (Dennis Haysbert), who happens to be African-American. Fortunately, Cathy is liberal in that regard, not seeing people for color. Unfortunately, everyone around her isn't like that. Raymond understands her, he is the only one she  can talk to about things.
After a dinner party, Frank is drunk and tries to have sex with her, but cannot perform and is upset about the whole thing and accidentally backhands Cathy. She sucks it up but it does draw her closer to Raymond. But the others, both whites and blacks aren't pleased with the relationship and rumors start flying. Frank is also pissed off, though he has no room to be. So she stops seeing him and things somewhat return to normal. It isn't until they go on vacation without the children to Miami that things get interesting again.
In Miami, Frank meets another man whom he falls in love with. And Raymond's daughter, Sarah (Jordan Pulvear) is injured when some white boys through a rock at her, because her father was with that white woman.
A few nights after the Whitakers return to Hartford that Frank has a breakdown and admits that he has fallen in love with someone else. A stoic Cathy merely asks that if he will now want a divorce, which he does. They actually divorce rather quickly.
Cathy is devastated to hear about Raymond's daughter and rushes over right away. She wishes to reconnect with him, especially since her marriage has gone up in smoke, but Raymond is upset at the reactions of everyone, even other blacks, constantly tossing rocks through the windows of his house. He will not attempt to mix the two worlds again and is moving elsewhere so his daughter will be safe.
She doesn't push it though she does go to the train station to see him off, with the scarf from earlier. The scarf had previously blown off her head but Raymond collected it and returned it to her. I was yelling at the screen for Cathy to give him her scarf, but she doesn't keeping it on her head as she keeps the tears inside. She has to rebuild her life as a single woman, when her world previously revolved around her husband.
While the plot is simple and basic, the film is nevertheless excellent, anchored with some universal and timeless themes. This film also shows how repressed the culture could be, with so many tasks needing done. And that phone is always ringing at an inopportune times. In addition to the three leads being superbly cast, Patricia Clarkson and Viola Davis offer excellent support as Cathy's narrow-minded best friend and loyal maid. The setting is breathtaking and the cinematography imitates the traditional cinematography from melodramatic films from the golden age of Hollywood. Though this film doesn't change lives or inspire anything, it makes you grateful that we live in a time where love isn't going to be suppressed if you love someone of your same gender or of another race. I am grateful to live now. Also, for the record, Julianne Moore should have won an Oscar for this role. She was better here than Nicole Kidman was in The Hours, which ironically enough, had Julianne Moore in more or less the same role. Grade: A-