Revolutionary Road

I've only seen the trailer, but my reaction was not enthusiastic.
I'm sure I'll see it eventually see it, but the trailer is full of what appears to be a lot of self-conscious emoting.
And I'm always wary about the suburbia=stagnation-and-death theme.
I do love Kate Winslett, though.

 

I'll see it. It'll be here when I back from vacation, but I imagine it's going to be like There Will Be Blood. I'll love the performances, but find the movie draining and never want to see it again.

 

Mostly ignored? Really?

 

'Seen and not heard' ring a bell?

 

Au contraire. Many morons can't accomplish it, and in fact some of the smartest people I know can't accomplish it despite hundreds of thousands of dollars and the finest medical help on the planet.

My story is almost exactly the opposite of April Wheeler's... actually no. If you imagine a circle... April and I both start at the bottom of the circle, at 6 o'clock. And she travels clockwise to the top of the circle and I travel counterclockwise to the top of the circle so that we end up in the same "situation."

But her having travelled clockwise and me having travelled counterclockwise, we have exactly opposite perspectives. Which is probably why my reaction to this film is so visceral... probably why I didn't sleep much last night.

But I've tried to separate that out from my feelings about the screenplay, direction and the acting.

For example, why in that one scene was crazy guy allowed to drone on and on and on? I was like, "You said you were leaving 10 minutes ago. No way should you be allowed to keep talking if this is a real situation."

And with Unsinkable chanting in a stage-play-cadence "he's not well." Yeah, we got that, Molly Brown.

 

For example, why in that one scene was crazy guy allowed to drone on and on and on? I was like, "You said you were leaving 10 minutes ago. No way should you be allowed to keep talking if this is a real situation."

Oh ... I forgot movies were supposed to perfectly reflect real-life situations. Especially when it's a 2009 movie depicting life in the 1950s.

 

There's a pretty big difference between 'seen-not-heard' and 'ignored.'
There's a definitely a difference in child-rearing approaches from 1950s middle America to current middle America, but I'd agree with Pallister that 'ignored' seems like hyperbole.

 

It's only hyperbole if you don't include the other part of my post.

Parents didn't fixate on their children back in the 50's.

Their lives didn't revolve around making sure little Johnny's self-esteem was up to snuff or that the kids had play dates or that their schedule was full.

Want to play baseball? Ride your bike to the game. Got a 6:00 a.m. hockey practice? Walk. Bored? Go knock on Gord's door.

The idea of asking my parents (and the kids I knew growing up) for a ride anywhere was unheard of. My father would have looked at me like I had grown a third head.

Didn't do well in school? Well, better buckle up buckaroo.

Half the time my parents had no idea where the six of us were or what we were doing.
Our spare time was ours. Parents didn't feel it was their job to entertain or amuse us.

 

And you had to walk to school 10 miles uphill both ways.

C'mon. Kids are ignored or not ignored about the same as ever. It's just that the excesses make good comedy material and thus seem ubiquitous. And if more attention is being paid to kids, why would that be a bad thing.

And....WINSLET

 

JR, I understand your point. I just disagree with the word choice on 'ignore.'
Dool, I think there can be a negative aspect to raising children in an environment in which they are the absolute focus at every moment.
My brother's kids are a trio of rotten brats.

 

You hit the nail on the head. I saw it and have no desire ever to see it again. It's not that it was bad, it's just that one can really only take so much of that sort of drama.

 

The kids were a symbol of their desperate lives, so their individual natures (and presence in general) were not relevant. Movie is definitely not an upper. From a technical perspective: It was well-acted, but you could see Leo acting a touch, while Kate is a much more natural presence. None of the women come off well.