Oscar Month: Revolutionary Road (2008)

It's 1955. After seven years of marriage Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) and April Wheeler (Kate Winslet) have fallen into a life that appears to most as being perfect. They live in the Connecticut suburbs with two young children. Frank commutes to New York City where he works in an office job while April stays at home as a housewife. But hilarity doesn't seem to ensue, and they're not happy. April has given up her dream of becoming an actress. Frank, on the other hand, has never found his dream, he hates his job and puts very little effort into it. One day, April suggests that they move to Paris as a means to rejuvenate their life and get out of their unhappy existence. April's plan: she would work, you would be amazed at how much money a secretarial job in an embassy makes. Frank would then have free time to find himself and discover his passion. Initially skeptical, Frank ultimately agrees to April's plan. When circumstances change around the Wheelers, April decides she will do whatever she has to to get herself out of her unhappy existence.

Trivia: This is the first film collaboration between Kate Winslet and husband Sam Mendes. First movie Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet have worked on together since Titanic (1997). Kathy Bates is also a Titanic veteran. The rights to adapt the book into a movie were bought in 1967. Child actors Ryan Simpkins and Ty Simpkins, who play Frank and April's children, are real-life siblings.

Well, the Oscars are fast approaching so for the next couple of weeks, we are Oscar talk all the time. All of the movies this month will be Oscar Nominees. Today's film is Revolutionary Road. To say this film is depressing is an understatement. There are no likable characters in it. April is a stilted unsatisfied housewife who feels like she is being imprisoned in her own home. Frank is an angry unsatisfied man having to work at a job he hates at the same company his father languished in for 20 years just so he can take care of his obligations (also known as his wife and children). They fight constantly. The neighbor has a secret crush on April. The real estate agent (Kathy Bates) looks to the couple as a way to revitalize the neighborhood. The lone bright spot is Bates's son John (played by Michael Shannon). John is mentally ill. He also doesn't sugarcoat anything and acts as the conscious of the film pointing out how everybody is pretending to be happy while in reality they can't stand each other. Shannon parleyed this 5 to 10 minute role into a Supporting Actor Oscar Nomination. Too bad he will be up against Heath Ledger.