Far from Heaven

BFI Film Classics

by John Gill

Cathy is the perfect ‘50s housewife, living the perfect ‘50s life: with healthy kids, a successful husband, and social prominence. Then one night she surprises her husband Frank, as he is kissing another man, and her tidy world starts spinning out of control. In her confusion and grief, she finds consolation in the friendship of their African-American gardener, Raymond—a socially taboo relationship that leads to the further disintegration of life as she knew it. Despite Cathy and Frank’s struggle to keep their marriage afloat, the reality of his homosexuality and her feelings for Raymond open a painful, if more honest, chapter in their lives.

Genres: Nonfiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published June 21, 2011

Reviews

[Russio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great film, well analysed. Occasionally the turn of phrase is a bit Sunday Supplement but on the whole very interesting and I get that this is an intro to the surrounding theory rather than hardcore analysis of its own. References to Sontag and Baudrillard are compelling and illuminate the film for me.