Cathy and Frank Whitaker (Moore and Quaid) have the perfect life in Hartford--the idyllic home, two lively kids (Ward and Andretta) and loyal friends. Frank is so successful in his job at a TV manufacturing company that they're called Mr & Mrs Magnatech, and feature prominently in the company's ad campaigns. But under the smiley-steely surface, Frank is burning with desire for other men. And when Cathy discovers his secret they struggle to find a way back on track. This is made even more difficult when the town gossips start chattering about Cathy's friendship with her recently widowed black gardener (Haysbert), a friendship they can feel developing into something more.

Haynes hits all the technical buttons exactly right--from Ed Lachman's stunning cinematography and Elmer Bernstein's lush score to James Lyon's expert editing and Sandy Powell's astonishing costumes. This looks and sounds exactly like a movie from the 1950s. But more than that, it gets the feelings exactly right as well. The characters and situations reveal so much going on beneath the surface, things no one can acknowledge in such a "perfect" world. It's how a 1950s film would have dealt with sexuality and racism, if it had ever dared to do so. And this makes it startlingly relevant today. Moore expertly captures the crazy balance between Cathy's respectability, fragility and open-mindedness. It's through her eyes that we view the story, and we quickly see beneath her veneer of respectability and control. This is quite simply one of the finest performances ever put on screen! Meanwhile, Quaid delivers the performance we never expected from him--meaty, vulnerable, tormented and even a little edgy. While Haysbert and Clarkson (as Cathy's best friend) offer much more than just supporting performances. It's interesting how this film deals with many of the same themes as American Beauty, but with an even more steady hand and perhaps even more earth-shaking insight. Don't miss it.

David Barber, Portsmouth UK: "This was a fantastic film, very moving and so true to life. The prejudices in those days were really terrible against black people and of course being gay was considered to be absolutely taboo. I grew up during the '50s era. The main star's costumes were fabulous, her dresses were georgeous. I have seen 4 of them on show in London at the National Film Theatre, a credit to the costume designer. I myself do design amiture and the '50s was the most wonderful feminine fashion era that to date has never been equaled." (30.Apr.03)