Hopeless Emptiness

powerful...uncomfortable...

Many people feel the American Dream is to settle into the suburbs, work a job, raise kids, and retire into being grandparents in the cookie cutter fashion.  However, there are some people that crave a road less traveled...with much different scenery along the way.

If you have never seen "Revolutionary Road" then you have missed an incredible movie. Though set in the 50s, it is a timeless tale of suburban shift in our America history.  

Leonardo Dicaprio plays a man who has settled into suburban America's pod life not unlike his father before. Kate Winslet is the little wishful thinker that marries him and then sadly follows him into the suburbs and into the pod life. Unhappiness brews for both of them. Contentiousness. Pod life often seems to do that. 

She comes to an inspired plan for them to re-set things and go back to a place where they both can dream and create their lives without all of the constructs of the American life that neither of them ever wanted to fall into. Off to Paris to begin anew. Scene One:

Leonardo's character wants to once again dream as Kate's character still does. The decision is made. Everyone they know is surprised. It is an inspiring time. And with that, enters a disturbed family friend, played by Michael Shannon, that brings insight regarding their intentions with utter admiration. Though emotionally unbalanced, this character brings a different narrative voice for the story and is pulling for this couple all the way. He is their number one fan...and he seems to be a mirror. I believe this is the character that reveals truth from the author, even if in but a couple of quick scenes. 

Scene Two:

Later, the ultimate quick anchor to living a pod life, parenthood, changes their plans. Now comes the realization that the wonderful couple that everyone admires and places their own hopes with has decided to abandon their big dreams and fall right back into normalcy. Shannon's character quickly becomes rather bitter with visceral disappointment as to why they chose to walk away from their dreams. Then reading between the lines, he makes accusations. However, they are perhaps not such wild accusations.

Why do most people end up doing that? Do people even know the moment when their hopes fade and they have decided to just settle. To simply appreciate what is left when they know they are probably resigning to reach for a lower rung on that ladder? Intriguing questions. Disturbing too. And Shannon's character (remember, emotionally unstable) suddenly loathes them for what he thinks is their cowardice. And they loathe him back because...they know. His character is the mirror...and they just know. Scene Three:

Now, this abandoned plan to move to Paris was only one aspect to the plot of the movie. But it is key and Shannon's character is a vital device in the story. "Revolutionary Road" is set in 1950s suburban America but it could very well be a modern day story. Phenomenal Movie. The book upon which it was based, must be brilliant.