Familiar Territory, Much Over-praised

Rating: 4/10 (14 December 2009)

"Revolutionary Road" is a not-very-good recapitulation of a certain mind-set about the 1950's previously explored by "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit," "Organization Man" and "Little Boxes Made of Ticky- Tacky." Sam Mendes has been down this road before (American Beauty) and done it better.
In my opinion, Leonardo DiCaprio is already past his prime as a high voltage star, and, although she was praised for her role in this movie, Kate Winslet is no longer an appropriate co-star for DiCaprio. She's a far better actor and their scenes together give off the dampest of sparks.
It's the premise of this movie that fails to convince me. Despite the critics, most adults in the 1950's were seeking high paying jobs (which did not bore them to death) and most couples wanted a home in the suburbs to raise their kids. True, the system was hardest on the wives. Many of them were college educated and struggled with the wifely routine that society imposed on them. The Feminist movement had not yet caught fire. When I was a young adult in the 1950's, college educated women stayed home to raise the kids but they also found an outlet in community affairs and other worthwhile activities. Most of the women I knew returned successfully to the work force when the kids were old enough.
It's not clear whether Winslet's character has been to college -- only that she has ambitions, first, to be an actress and, second, to quit the Connecticut suburbs for Paris. DiCaprio's "organization man" is also drawn to the Paris idea but two developments interfere. First, the wife becomes pregnant with their third child, and second, the husband is offered a substantial promotion.
The rest of the story is melodramatic and will not be summarized here. Kate Winslet has proved her mettle as an actor, and she does the best she can with a weak role. DiCaprio also does the best he can (which is not very much) with his role. And Mendes should have stood in bed. I awarded this a 4 only because of Winslet. She IS an amazing actress. Frankly, the worst thing about Revolutionary Road is that it was completely boring.