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Christianity Today Movies, 2008, reviews |

Revolutionary Road

Review by Brett McCracken | posted 12/29/2008 12:00AM

It is fashionable these days to look back upon the '50s and '60s as a time when there was cool fashion and a lot of smoking and martini drinking, covering up for deeply unsettled, Stepford Wives-esque ...

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Joe	Posted: September 20, 2009 6:37 PM

Brett, this movie was not about male/female matrimony, nor was it about post war America, nor was it about community. It was about something far greater. I'm surprised you didn't pick up on it. This film was about truth, and the pain it brings when people don't want to hear it (recall the old man turning down his ear piece at the end). The insane guy represented the truth. Every time he spoke, he spoke the truth. When the Wheelers first heard the truth from him they liked him because they felt someone shared their view; but when the truth was turned on THEM, Mr. Wheeler wanted to kill him (note Mrs. Wheeler only seemed to be nervously placated). Ultimately Mrs Wheeler literally PIERCED the truth and the filmmaker made sure we could not miss the blood. Hence, I believe this was a film about Jesus Christ. And that is why there was not a single mention of Him or God or religion throughout the movie. -Joe at www.joesacramento.com

Cribbster

Posted: September 07, 2009 10:32 PM

Yes, I very much liked this movie. But I gotta say, Rob, you very much confuse the inclusion of an abortion in the movie as Hollywood's support of it. Richard Yates, who wrote the book on which the movie is adapted, was a wonderful, insightful writer, and his characters tended to be quite tragic. It would be reductive and simply wrong to say "Revolutionary Road" supports abortion. I think the director, Mendes (and Yates, presumably), leaves it up to the audience to judge the two main characters. It is not necessarily the storyteller's job to take a position on such things. I often prefer it when they don't.

HHHmmm

Posted: July 28, 2009 1:27 AM


I don't think the movie was about saving a marriage, I think that was just at the surface. The character of the crazy son (John I think his name was) holds the key to the entire movie.

Tan	Posted: July 11, 2009 10:06 AM

I do agree that the movie is too bleak - not just the ending, but also the delusional dreams and aspirations that were unrealistic. I cannot believe that running off to Paris without a plan can save a marriage, much less help them live and feel things. Indeed, what is in Paris do exist in Connecticut. I feel rather hollow at the end of the movie. But am I glad that I need not depend on my own thoughts and devices to be happy and live. Our God enables us, even when our lives are in the lowest valleys. Praise God for His mercy and grace.

Rob	Posted: July 08, 2009 9:41 AM

No mention of the climatic abortion at the end of the film, CT? Such is to be expected, I suppose, from a completely apostate publication such as Christianity Today, but all the same, I would have liked to have read more forewarning of the unborn child being murdered in the film as part of your review (you know, for the sake of those Christians who are actually pro-life and don't toss their children to Molek, and don't want to support Hollywood dross that suggests, constantly, that unborn human life is worthless.)

Enoch

Posted: June 10, 2009 11:42 AM


"Stumble people w/ breast nudity"?! Take an Art History course. And why is it that some people evaluate a movie based on whether or not it was uplifting? You would have to trash a lot of literary classics with that rule of thumb.

kim	Posted: June 08, 2009 8:45 PM


How can CT rate a film with 3 0r 4 stars that will stumble people with female breast nudity. Then also to go on and have discussions starters.

Lisa	Posted: June 08, 2009 6:21 PM


I only gave this film one star and that was only because the acting was decent. But, the story itself was very bleak and depressing. I wish Kate and Leo would've reunited for something much better. Oh well, maybe next time.

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