Far from Heaven

Appeals to viewers who appreciate meticulously composed period melodrama that uses emotional restraint and social prejudice to expose the costs of conformity.

Tone

melancholic, bittersweet, cerebral

Payoff

heartbreak, reflection

Pacing

steady

Intensity

moderate

Structure

linear

Themes

social conformity, forbidden desire, racism, marriage, repression

Setting

mid-twentieth-century, affluent suburban Connecticut