Director Haynes reunites with his suburban muse Julianne Moore to create a 1950s period piece that mimics the look of the era's melodramas (notably, Sirk's All that Heaven Allows). Cathy (Moore) plays the model happy housewife, and lives out the American Dream in Hartford with her hard-working husband, Frank (Quaid). Only it isn't that simple. As Frank's homosexuality comes out in the open, Cathy begins to explore her feelings for Raymond (Haysbert), their black gardener who offers both down-to-earth perspectives and the rush of otherworldliness. Every actor's performance registers as deeply felt. The score is lush, the cinematography flawless. And the production design is a character unto itself, speaking for the characters when the oppressive social order renders them speechless. 35mm
2002, color, 1 hour 47 minutes, USA