REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

 

Headline:  ** Disturbing Drama **

Title:  REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Quality:  * * *    Acceptability:  -3

SUBTITLES:  None

WARNING CODES:

Language:  LLL

Violence:  VV

Sex:  SS

Nudity:  NN

 

RATING:  R

RELEASE:  December 26, 2008

TIME:  119 minutes

STARRING:  Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Kathy Bates, Michael Shannon, David Harbour, and Kathryn Hahn

DIRECTOR:  Sam Mendes

PRODUCERS:  Bobby Cohen, John Hart, Sam Mendes, and Scott Rudin

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:  Henry Femaine, Marion Rosenberg and David M. Thompson

WRITER:  Justin Haythe

BASED ON THE NOVEL BY:  Richard Yates

DISTRIBUTOR:  Paramount Vantage/Viacom

 

CONTENT:  (RoRoRo, HH, LLL, VV, SS, NN, AA, D, MM) Very strong Romantic worldview of attempting to find happiness in each other mixed with strong humanist elements; 24 obscenities and 24 profanities; a disturbing "at home abortion"; implied sexual relations in adultery, depicted sexual relations between married couple, depicted sexual relations in adulterous relationship; upper female nudity, upper male nudity; drinking of alcohol and drunkenness; constant smoking; and, marital strife, lying, lying, and abortion.

 

GENRE:  Drama

INTENDED AUDIENCE:  Older teenagers and adults

 

Please address your comments to:

 

Sumner Redstone, Chairman/CEO, Viacom

Nick Meyer, President, Paramount Vantage

(aka Paramount Classics)

A Division of Paramount Pictures

5555 Melrose Avenue

Chevalier Building

Los Angeles, CA  90038

Phone:  (323) 956-2000

Fax:  (323) 862-1212

Website:  www.paramountclassics.com

 

SUMMARY: REVOLUTIONARY ROAD is the story of a suburbanite couple who feel stifled by their supposed mundane life and fantasize about a better life in Paris, though they never get there. Filled with a Romantic worldview along with strong negative content such as foul language, adultery, sex, nudity, and an abortion, this movie ultimately is unappealing.

 

IN BRIEF:

 

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD is the story of a suburbanite couple who fantasize about a better life in Paris, though they never get there. Frank and April live the 1950s suburban dream of nice job, nice house. However, they are unhappy, bored and long for a different life. They fight throughout the story, blaming each other, being unfaithful and ultimately destroying their lives and marriage. Along the way, other families are introduced who each ultimately live in sad, depressed lives.

 

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD is well made. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet explore their complex characters. The directing is solid, giving much room for the actors. The movie's biggest flaw is that the story itself is depressing, with characters that are ultimately not very sympathetic. The movie's Romantic worldview is devoid of God. The characters live their lives based solely on their feelings. Frank says his life's goal is to feel. April says she wants "to live life as if it matters." Yet, they have missed what really matters in life. There is also strong negative content, including foul language and sexual content. The most disturbing element is a depicted "at home abortion."