The Wheelers aren't so special

Rating: 4/10 (4 January 2009)

Greetings again from the darkness. Evidently I am one of the few who didn't like the movie, and just to be clear, that doesn't bother me one iota. This is a depressing, non-message movie stuck in an unrealistic setting with characters who we don't care the least bit about. The fact that the American Beauty and Road to Perdition director assembled such a strong cast doesn't override the fact that it is just not a good film.
Basically we get a chance meeting at a party between Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Love at first sight seems to happen because he is a longshoreman and she is an actress-wannabe who has never been anywhere or done anything. When she says he is the most interesting man she has ever met, we can only assume that he must also be the first. Besides that ... what does he see in her?
Flashforward a few years to a miserable life in early 60's suburbia and a couple of kids and we are then subjected to 90 minutes of screaming and bickering and crying and depression and anger. You know there is an entire segment of the law (and a Tammy Wynette song) just for these situations ... it is called D-I-V-O-R-C-E. Just do it folks. The whole thing is just ridiculous. And where are the KIDS?? They are only in a couple of scenes. Not sure how that happens. I know my kids were around the house most of their childhood.
The most interesting character in the movie is the white-jacket worthy son of Kathy Bates played by Michael Shannon (the mysterious marine seen in World Trade Center). His twisted and vile psychoanalysis of Leo and Kate is spot on, though ridiculous in itself.
Director Sam Mendes (Kate's real life husband) is blessed to have Winslet and DiCaprio cast or this film would die a quick death at the box office and most assuredly would not end up on any best of lists for this year. Based on Richard Yates' novel, the only explanation I have for the terrific reviews is that they are a product of the reputation of the novel and the high profile parties involved, and not for the finished project of this film. For a significantly better film with similar material, see Todd Haynes' "Far From Heaven".