Relovolutionary Road

This past weekend, at long last, I saw Revolutionary Road. I had so anticipated the film's arrival in a local market. When I initially saw the trailer at the end of last year, I thought, "this is definitely a film to see with your significant other...especially if you are thinking of making a life with this partner." Now that I've seen it, I'm glad that I could experience the film without my significant other, at least for the 1st viewing.

A painfully accurate critique of monogamy and the pursuit of the "American Dream," the film impressed me with its honesty and humanity. Kate Winslet portrays a young woman who becomes a wife, while still wondering what lies for her marriage beyond the conventions of a 1950's family. The children are conspicuously absent from most scenes, allowing the viewer to build empathy and understanding for the plight of a young married couple who have exchanged their love of adventure and sponteigity for persistant predictability. This attention does not diminish the perception of Winslet as a loving mother to her children, but instead reminds us that women {and men}, mothers {and dads} have souls that need to be fed and dreams that need to be realized. Rather than growing complacent and decieving themselves into believing this is is what they wanted out of life, [awakened by Winslet] the two renew their committment to "really living" and not just going through the motions.

Tragic comedy is introduced by their landlord's brilliant son, who has been "institutionalized" due to a mental illness. The director's inclusion and treatment of this character added great dimension to the narrative. I enjoyed the irony that when he visits the "Wheeler's of Revolutionary Road," they find themselves strolling through the forest and discover that among all of their acquaintances in their suburban neighborhood, he, the "insane" professor that fell from grace, is the only one who seems to understand their disatisfaction with their current lifestyle.

Ultimately, I felt challenged by this film. Challenged to follow my intuition, my passion, my dreams, even if it means stepping boldly outside the lines of convention. I don't feel that it was a negative critique of the social conventions of marriage and all that the notion of the "American Dream" entails, instead I read the film to suggest that while that life is fulfilling for some people, it can be damaging for others. Conformity for conformity's sake is called sharply into question. I left the film with a familiar quote ringing in my head, "Ask yourself what it is that makes you come alive, and do it. The world needs people who have come alive."