Far From Heaven (2002)

In the fall of 1957 the Whitakers, the perfect suburban family, make their home in Hartford, Connecticut. The Whitakers have two children, and father Frank (Dennis Quaid) manages the local office of Magnatech. Cathy (Julianne Moore) accidentally witnesses her husband kissing another man, and his secret gay life causes her world to start falling apart. She's grateful when Frank reluctantly consents to undergo psychiatric anti-gay treatment. But in her confusion and grief, she finds consolation in the friendship of their Afro-American gardener, Raymond Deagan (Dennis Haysbert)-- a socially unacceptable relationship that leads to the further disintegration of her life. Ray is educated, sensitive, soft-spoken, gentle, and the single father of a young daughter. Cathy is faced with choices that create gossip in her community, and change several lives forever. Despite Cathy and Frank's struggle to keep their marriage afloat, the reality of his homosexuality and her feelings for Raymond open a painful and more honest chapter in their lives. Finally, thinking everything is alright again with Frank, Cathy and her gay spouse go for a winter vacation in Miami, a place populated with handsome young men.


This film mixes both sexual and racial prejudice with such a stylized veneer that it is emotionally compelling. The "look" of the film is superb, recreating the fashion, cars, home and office decor, and technology of the period to an uncanny degree. Plus the cast and filmmakers have such an impeccable command of the look and feel of the genre that every moment is deeply felt. Written and directed by Todd Haynes

Raising Heroes (1996)

Josh Sullivan (Troy Sostillio) and Paul McEwen (Henry White) are a happy gay couple just three days away from the most important event of their lives--adopting a son, Nikki (Nicholas Siljee). He is the son of Susan, a friend of Paul who died of cancer and willed that Paul and Josh raise her son. Nikki's grandmother opposes the adoption and there is a heated custody battle. On his way to a custody hearing, Josh accidentally witnesses some gangster killings in a deli, but does not notify the authorities or tell his lover. Unfortunately, the mobsters know who he his, and don't believe he will remain silent. The mob sends the son of the mob boss to silence him, but a scuffle occurs and Josh pushes the assasin out the window and continues to keep up appearances. When this fails, Josh finally tells Paul what is happening, and together they address the situation exactly like action heroes in mainstream movies, sending the couple into a world of deadly deceit, double-crosses, and violence. Theres a twist in the plot, but in the end Paul and Josh survive a bullet-riddled showdown that pushes their relationship and lives to the limit. Finally they win custody of Nikki.

The story doesn't seem credible, partly because it was written, produced, directed, and edited by the same individual. Director Dough Langway turns the action genre on its heels with this independent film--the world's first gay action movie. Lawrence Feber of Time Out New York wrote, "This crowd-pleasing, gengre-bending, gunslinging gay love story will blow you away!" and XY Magazine called it, "The most important gay film of the decade."