If I could rate this a zero, I would. Meanwhile I'll say this: if you are a young parent with kids who can't get a sitter, don't even THINK of bringing young children into this film! This is considered a romantic COMEDY? Ridiculous! It's a raunchy comedy, but any respect for the sanctity of marriage is completely thrown by the wayside here. Scenes showing male depression, a professor hitting on a student, people of Asian descent (as well as elderly parents) using the "f" word on each other, black racial stereotypes, the state of Michigan portrayed the worst it's ever been, frostbite injury seen as humorous (it is not), someone getting shot with an arrow, children watching their mother and aunt cursing right in front of them while imitating childhood TV characters, a woman demeaning a man's sexuality, all of this is just totally unfunny. I'm only 52 but as I watched this I felt very sad that the audience in my theater just laughed at every dysfunctional, pathetic joke. Is this what the idea of marriage has fallen to amongst people in their 20s and 30s? I also found myself wondering how long it would be until this excuse for a movie ended, finally walking out - couldn't take any more. Has our society fallen this far? I thank God that I am naive to this kind of trash! I will never watch another movie starring Jason Segal, and that includes "How I Met Your Mother" as well.

I just finished watching this film in Busan, South Korea. I went in wondering if this would be as good as other portrayals of this period in the lives of Mary and Joseph leading up to the birth of Christ. It exceeded my expectations! The acting was superb and the timeline was followed out of the Biblical narratives. The explanation given for the bright star (actually 3 stars) by the Wise Men was accurate as well, and the anticipation of this added to the story. Overall, only one downside - the period after the birth of Christ, with the Wise Men deciding not to revisit Herod and Herod's subsequent decision to kill off the newborn babies, was rushed. Nothing was mentioned regarding the presentation of Jesus in the Temple at the age of 8 days, Simeon's sighting of the Christ child, both of which happened prior to Gabriel's warning to Joseph to head to Egypt. Otherwise - excellent!

SPOILER ALERT - SPOILER ALERT!!! I couldn't understand the timeline this movie was supposed to cover. When the sequel THE EVENING STAR came out, it began in 1988, with Melanie at 18 as a college freshman, putting her birth in 1970. When Aurora later describes Melanie as being 3 years old when her mother, Emma, passed away, it puts Emma's death in 1973. However, earlier in the film, Emma is seen driving with her lover in a late 70's Pontiac through the Iowa countryside. Not only this, but looking at the ages of her sons at the point of Emma's demise indicates they were about 10 and 5 at the time, which would put Emma and Flap's marriage in about 1959 or thereabouts. Why then did Flap have long hair and speak as though it were the late 60's? Why was a mid-60's Chrysler seen in Aurora's driveway before Emma's marriage? So frankly, I don't understand - am I off by ten years, or was THE EVENING STAR wrong in its timeline all together? McMurtry's novel puts Aurora's birth in 1913 and Emma's in about 1940, which is in line with the opening shots of Aurora as a young WWII wife with a baby. Time is off seriously in this whole movie BUT...

It was wonderful!!!

I saw this at a friends home last night - she had videotaped it when I couldn't see it Sunday last. It really brought a lump to my throat - and it was very well done. The mother did look so beautiful with the shoes.

***SPOILER ALERT*** The major part of the story was set in 1985 in Massachusetts. Rob Lowe, however, did not look like he'd aged in 17 years when the film came up to date. And how did the hat given the boy so many years before still fit him after he grew up? ***END SPOILER***

I recommend this film be seen by anyone who has lost a mother out there - and NEVER forget all that they do for us - all the love so many have given us.

I saw "Far From Heaven" twice last night. I watched it once and then had to see it again right away, so I watched two back-to-back showings. Simply stunning film! Yes, I recognized the Douglas Sirk influence right away - while watching both times, I literally felt as if it were 1957-58 in real time, because this movie both looked new yet seemed as if it were straight out of those years. I thought first of a comparison with "Imitation of Life".

The cars were stars! The 1956 Buick wagon with the blue fender skirts, the 1957 Plymouth Fury four-door hardtop of the best friend, the 1958 Edsel owned by the town gossip, even the big grey 1958 Buick parked at the curb. Excellent attention to detail in this area - I looked hard for any 1959 or newer cars to report an error to IMDB as so often happens in these period pieces, but nary a one to be found!

If I had to think of a real life person that Julianne Moore's character reminded me of, that would have to be the late Pat Nixon. Moore's character has that same frozen smile, the perfect demeanor as she swirls her skirt for that "perfect" picture; she even in some scenes resembles the former first lady.

To those who trash this film because of the so-called "Sirk influence", I say watch it again - carefully. Look for those little things that say volumes that we tend to gloss over in the films. For instance (SPOILER AHEAD) watch the way Cathy Whitaker treats her children: every time they want to talk to Daddy or share their experiences with Mom or Dad, they are told either to go upstairs and do their homework or something to the effect of "your father's busy - don't bother him!" If this was common in the late 50's in many families, is it any wonder that these same kids would turn the country upside down ten years later? Think about it - stuff like this is important. There was no real communication!

Frankly, with the kind of prejudice I saw from both black and white folks, I had to remind myself occasionally that this was set in Connecticut instead of Mississippi. I just never realized how much of these kind of slurs and innuendo were cast up in the most liberal Northern bastions.

Was also reminded of the Whoopi Goldberg-Sissy Spacek film, "The Long Walk Home" because of the white woman (Moore in this case) making an agonized decision on whether or not to help the black cause from the vantage point of an upper middle class housewife.

I hope this earns some kind of Academy Award this year - probably not for picture itself but for Julianne Moore's acting. Stellar!