Revolutionary Road

 

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

                                                           with    

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet and Kathy Bates

When selecting this film, I thought it was going to be a light-hearted story. Wow, what a surprise! It is a powerful story with a sad ending. However, the scenario is a typical one for a couple of the 1950s. Kate Winslet won a Golden Globe for best actress in 2009 for this role.

Kate and Leonardo play April and Frank Wheeler who meet at a party, fall in love, and get married. After seven years of marriage, their life “seems” perfect. They have two children and move to a Connecticut suburb. She stays home with the children and he commutes to New York to a job he hates. His dad had worked for this company for 30 years. April comes up with a wonderful plan to revitalize their relationship by moving to Paris. (Place Frank had been to during the war). With their savings and money from the sale of the house, they would have enough to go to Paris where she would get a secretarial job and Frank would take care of the kids. This idea does make Frank think that life may be better in Paris.

One morning Frank's boss wants to see him. Frank thinks he is going to be fired after his earlier work performance. However, instead of being fired, he is about to be promoted due to an idea he submitted. The company wants him to work on a new project: computers. Initially, he said no because of the plans for Paris. Then April finds out that she is expecting a third child. Plans for Paris were beginning to crumble. This was too much for April and was considering performing an abortion so long as it was done before the 12^th week.

Frank does not want the baby aborted. He takes the job and April seems to have come to terms with the Paris plans – “g-o-n-e.” Frank goes to work as usual and the day appears to be like any other. However, April has other ideas.

My thoughts were – April took the situation into her own hands because she felt trapped when she saw her dreams vanish . This trip was to put “excitement” back into the marriage and into her life! NOW another baby and the same “ole” routine. You will have to watch this movie to find out what April does and you can come to your own conclusions. I'm Louise and this is my point of view.