Share

Watch It

On DVD: Now | On Blu-ray: Now
Watch it on iTunes Buy on Amazon

Far From Heaven Review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 5.0
    84

    out of 100

    Metascore®
    Universal acclaim
    based on a weighted average of all
    critic review scores.

  • 100

    out of 100

    Los Angeles Times Manohla Dargis

    The film's three leads are extraordinary, but what Moore does with her role is so beyond the parameters of what we call great acting that it nearly defies categorization.

    Read Full Review

  • 100

    out of 100

    Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

    Bold and brilliant.

    Read Full Review

  • 100

    out of 100

    Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

    Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid and Dennis Haysbert are called on to play characters whose instincts are wholly different from their own. By succeeding, they make their characters real, instead of stereotypes.

    Read Full Review

  • 100

    out of 100

    The New York Times Dana Stevens

    It rediscovers the aching, desiring humanity in a genre -- and a period-- too often subjected to easy parody or ironic appropriation. In a word, it's divine.

    Read Full Review

  • 100

    out of 100

    Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

    There's an incongruous but ravishing beauty in Far From Heaven, and in its three excellent central performances, that counteracts the seeming kitschiness of the story.

    Read Full Review

  • 70

    out of 100

    Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

    Yet dramatic energy is in short supply. The actors move about this elaborate movie museum in a modified dream state, as if living in the present while rooted in the past. But the strategy doesn't work. It's an imitation of lifelessness.

  • 75

    out of 100

    USA Today Mike Clark

    Glossy or not, the movie is unflinchingly tough-minded, down to its Hollywood-weepy ending, which, if you think about it, may be the year's gloomiest.

    Read Full Review

  • 90

    out of 100

    Variety David Rooney

    An accomplished marriage of elaborate style and content.

    Read Full Review

  • See all Far From Heaven reviews at Metacritic.com

View MoreView Less

For Families provided by Common Sense Media

Iffy for 15+

Sensitive, mature melodrama about sexuality in the 1950s.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this Oscar-nominated melodrama deals with mature, complex issues, including prejudice, sexuality, and adultery. Characters make anti-Semitic and racist comments; there's also some drinking and smoking. One character gets drunk in an attempt to numb the pain he feels about not being true to himself.

  • Families can talk about why the story is set in the 1950s and about what's changed since then. Younger family members may want to know more about the older members' recollections of that era. Did Raymond and Frank make different choices when it came to what was best for their children? What do those children think about what's going on around them? How will filmmakers 50 years from now see today's movies and what will they pick to pay tribute to?

The good stuff
  • message true1

    Messages: The movie's characters are complex, and they face serious dilemmas and complicated issues relating to marriage, sexuality, race, and social expectations. The 1950s' suburban setting is portrayed as rigid and quick to gossip and condemn, but ultimately the main characters are true to themselves and their feelings.

What to watch for
  • violence false1

    Violence: Tense scenes.

  • sex false3

    Sex: Characters discuss sex; heterosexual and homosexual couples kiss. Some suggested intimacy and discussion of adultery.

  • language false3

    Language: One "f--k" and occasional uses of phrases like "goddamn" and "oh God."

  • consumerism false0

    Consumerism: Not an issue

  • drugsalcoholtobacco false2

    Drinking, drugs and smoking: Social drinking; a character gets drunk. Some smoking (era-appropriate for the '50s setting).

An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.

© Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

View MoreView Less

Fan Reviews provided by

Average Rating: 3.594
Read all reviews Write a review at Fandango
4

by lizcass

Read all Far From Heaven reviews at Fandango
Advertisement