At the Cineplex: Revolutionary Road (2008)

Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio are the Wheelers (April and Frank), a couple who seem to be living the ideal 1950s lifestyle. They have two children and live in a lovely suburban neighborhood. Frank has a steady if unfulfilling office job. On the outside they seem like the perfect couple. But April, once an aspiring actress, has become absolutely miserable, longing for freedom from an existence that she feels has been forced upon her. She talks Frank into moving to Paris to kick-start a new life. But subsequent developments jeopardize more than just April and Frank’s marriage.

Revolutionary Road boasts strong performances from the leads. Winslet and DiCaprio inherit their characters and their story is engrossing. They are given able support from the likes of Kathy Bates, a gossipy real estate agent, and, especially, Michael Shannon, as Bates’ mentally disturbed son who nevertheless senses what is really going on with the Wheelers. This rather clichéd character (the insane person who may be the sanest character in the movie) is given a darkly comic approach by Shannon that makes him an effective harbinger of the truth.

What’s problematic about the film is the Winslet character. Is she mentally ill herself or just a spoiled brat who does not realize what she has? (At one point Frank mentions psychiatric counseling but this never referred to again.) After some rather explosive fights with her husband she’ll play the perfect wife (by 1950s standards). Is this because her character is trying to appreciate what she has and thus starting anew, or is this actually one of two personalities that are fighting within April? Knowing whether she is self-pitying or sick is crucial since this will shape our reaction to the tragic events that play out in the final acts. Should we be sad or angry, or both?

But given what Bates’ character’s husband does in the film’s last scene, Revolutionary Road ultimately seems like an indictment on marriage - at least the 1950s view of such - in general. All the married couples we meet feature at least one spouse who is unfaithful or dissatisfied in one way or another. More specifically, perhaps Revolutionary Road is an overall criticism of “the perfect life” idea that was sold to people in a bygone era. Men and women got married, found a nice play to live, had two children, etc. The man went to work and the woman took care of the house and kids. Therefore any feelings of disappointment with this arrangement can have devastating effects.

It is curious how little we see of the Wheeler children in this film. They are always at someone else’s home, or at a Birthday party. When the kids are on screen it is to make some dramatic point, such as when April snaps at her daughter for no apparent reason. This feel likes an emotional cheat, because the film mostly bypasses the concept of responsibility. The time responsibility does get mentioned is during heated arguments, and therefore just gets lost amongst the vitriol. The screenplay unsatisfactorily explores April’s thoughts about her responsibilities to her children in conjunction with her own desires.

Revolutionary Road suffers story wise because it’s unclear what is behind April’s feelings, and knowing this would impact our own reaction to April and her reactions. Maybe director Sam Mendes avoids such a definitive answer because he wants to be provocative, avoiding labeling April as narcissistic or sick. Revolutionary Road is worth seeing for its great performances and involving story. But it’s refusal to reveal the truth about April will either have you praising it for such a stroke, or leave you frustrated for not knowing what to make of it all.