Welcome to Screen Gems, our weekend dive into queer and queer-adjacent titles of the past that deserve a watch or a rewatch.
The Jerker: Far From Heaven
Director Todd Haynes (Carol, Far From Heaven) scored an Oscar nomination for his screenplay to this period melodrama back in 2002. Haynes channels the rich color and lurid tone of directors Vincente Minnelli and Douglas Sirk to tell the story of a middle-class family in Connecticut torn apart by deep secrets.
Juliane Moore plays Cathy, a happy and popular housewife whose husband Frank (Dennis Quaid) is secretly having homosexual affairs. With their lives and standing in the community at stake, she finds solace in her gardener, Raymond (Dennis Haysbert). Raymond’s grace and intelligence impress Cathy, and the two find themselves increasingly drawn to one another. Meanwhile, Frank turns to alcohol and conversion therapy to “cure” his sexuality, with predictably disastrous results.
Far From Heaven uses soapy melodrama to comment on issues of sexuality, gender and race. Though set in the 1950s, the film comments more on the attitudes of Americans in the early 2000s–comments, incidentally, that still feel relevant today. Haynes shows off the height of his power as a director, loading the film with style and beautiful imagery. Likewise, the cast delivers all-around splendid performances. Moore nabbed a Best Actress Oscar nomination, while Haysbert, Quaid and Patricia Clarkson (as a nosy neighbor) all deserved recognition as well. Tender, quiet and yet teeming with passionate rage, Far From Heaven is the kind of movie that makes us weep at its beauty, and from its sadness.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Streams on Hulu, Amazon, Starz and YouTube.
This article includes links that may result in a small affiliate share for purchased products, which helps support independent LGBTQ+ media.
Josh447
Grrrreat film
Kangol2
This is one of Todd Haynes’s best films. Superbly written and acted, and his homage to Douglas Sirk’s melodramas come off as a fitting tribute and not a poor copy.
boufano
Agree 100%.
dhmonarch89
great film- Moore deserved to win that year… never really impressed with Kidman that year. Quaid should have been nominated…. the scene where Frank gives Cathy crap for being seen with a black man, how it would ruin their status, etc.- I wanted her to say, ‘Do you think they’d accept you and your 19 year old boyfriend?’
Desiderata
This article title is offensive. What gives Queerty the right to put down those who are still working through their own acceptance of being gay. Each journey is different. Some are quick, some take decades.
Brian
Did the editors change the title during the last 50 minutes between your comment and mine? It’s fine.
butchqueen
I can’t believe I haven’t seen this! I’ve wanted Quaid to tear my mussy asunder since he was in that Bonnie Raitt video!
uwyoalum
The mid-century set design, decoration, and fashion is all amazing, and it was filmed with really saturated colors that make it look like the photos in cookbooks and home magazines from the time period. Brilliant!
michael_totzke
… but more importantly, the saturated colour echoes that in the films of Douglas Sirk. Not to mention the script (& title) heavily influenced by Sirk’s “All That Heaven Allows.”
rand503
And the music! Haynes pulled Elmer Bernstein out of retirement to write the theme music in the style of his great 1950s works. It’s quite beautiful and fits the mood perfectly. The soundtrack should have earned him an Oscar.
Cam
It’s a shame Dennis Quaid’s “Coming out” was as a Trump supporter and defender. Makes it hard to watch his films.
barryaksarben
When they get money they seem to forget what it is like to struggle just to survive and they start to think people like trump are right when they spread the lie that the poor arent trying hard enough. He got lucky
Cam
@barryaksarben
So true! Charles Barkley just came out and basically said pro athletes should get the vaccine early because they’re rich. And I mean, let’s not get started on what a nutjob James Woods is now.
Jerry
Love Love Love
michael_totzke
I’m still pissed off that Nicole Kidman (& her fake nose) stole the Oscar that should’ve been Julianne’s. Her performance is one of my favourite of all time.