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I recently watched on DVD the movie "Revolutionary Road" starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. I thought it would be a light romantic flick. Au contraire! A very intense drama. A young couple become bored with their lives. The husband works in an office where his deceased father worked. The wife had dreams of being an actress, but didn't have the talent. She stays at home with the two small children. They have a wild idea: They will take off to Paris! He will quit his job; they will live on savings; and while she works, he will have time to find his true calling.
They are excited. Their desire is to 'feel alive' again. The people at the office think he is crazy. Their neighbors can't believe it. But one neighbor, who has just come out of the 'insane asylum,' understands. In fact he seems to be the only one in the story who understands reality. An ironic theme runs through the movie concerning what it means to be 'sane.' Who are the sane people in this story? Who are the crazy people? It reminds me of Paul's statement about 'being fools for Christ's sake.' In this movie the crazy/foolish man is the only wise one.
The story becomes complicated when the couple discover that the wife is pregnant. A crisis ensues. And there are extramarital affairs by husband and wife. They speak of their lives as empty and hopeless. There must be some symbolism in the fact that on more than one occasion someone goes 'into the woods' to reflect or ponder or make decisions. As Dante begins The Divine Tragedy he writes, "I came to my senses in a dark forest." Could it be that in our 'dark' crises we are able to come to the light?
The husband and wife have intense arguments; outbursts of rage. The actors are great at what they do. The story seems to swirl into more and more intensity--to the breaking point. Then, strangely, everything becomes quiet...and 'normal.' Or so it appears. Then comes the ultimate crisis.
Themes: emptiness/fulfillment; meaningful work; one's vocation/calling in life; relationships; aliveness/deadness; conformity/nonconformity; maturity, sanity, integrity, wholeness; honesty, reality, roles, happiness.
This movie has a 'death-of-the-salesman' feel to it. It raises the question of what life is all about, and what gives it meaning. There was no religious or spiritual dimension to the couple's relationship. There was no sense of being part of authentic community (only an occasional get together with some neighbors). There was no extended family to give support. This wife and husband lived in a vacuum. They dreamed of going somewhere else to find happiness and fulfillment; but they were really trying to run away from themselves and escape their loneliness.
It's good to watch movies like this occasionally. They make us stop and think about ourselves. Where do we find our fulfillment? Are we just pretending, or are we really as happy as we put on? What part does God play in our daily living? Whose dream are we following? How do we connect with other people? Is parenting a meaningful part of our lives? What place do children have in our existence? Is our occupation and our vocation the same?
Revolutionary Road. A revolution is a 'turning.' They went down a certain road. Their lives took a turn for the worse. Which leaves you and me with the questions: What does my life revolve around? What is at the center?
This movie says to me that life that is not centered in a divine purpose is empty and hopeless.
