Far from Heaven

In 1950s suburban Connecticut, Cathy Whitaker (Julianne Moore) appears to live the perfect life with her husband Frank (Dennis Quaid). When she discovers Frank is secretly homosexual, their marriage—which was, in effect, a lavender marriage—begins to unravel as she also develops feelings for their Black gardener (Dennis Haysbert).

Styled as an homage to 1950s Douglas Sirk melodramas—the very kind that closeted star Rock Hudson starred in—the film makes the lavender marriage connection doubly resonant. Director Todd Haynes crafts a devastating portrait of how societal expectations of the era trapped everyone involved. Also starring Patricia Clarkson and Viola Davis.