Revolutionary Road 2008

In the late 1940s, Frank Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio) encounters April (Kate Winslet) at a lively party. Frank works as a longshoreman, aspiring to become a cashier, while April dreams of a career as an actress. As their lives intertwine, they marry after Frank secures a sales position at his father’s former company. By 1955, the couple has moved into a suburban home located at 115 Revolutionary Road in Connecticut, gearing up for the arrival of their first child.

Settling into the rhythms of suburban life, Frank and April bring up their two children, Michael and Jennifer. They form friendships with their realtor, Helen Givings (Kathy Bates), her husband Howard (Richard Easton), and their neighbors Milly (Kathryn Hahn) and Shep (David Harbour). Despite their portrayal as the ideal couple to friends, beneath the surface, their relationship shows signs of strain. April’s aspirations of making it as an actress flounder, while Frank becomes increasingly dissatisfied with the monotony of his career.

As April yearns for a change and longs to support the family, she remembers Frank’s nostalgic tales of Paris. Convinced that a move to Paris could reignite their passion and solve their problems, she proposes the idea to Frank. At first, he laughs it off, but soon begins to entertain the thought. The only person who truly understands their dilemma is John (Michael Shannon), the troubled son of Helen, who is grappling with his own mental health issues. April reacts with empathy when Helen shares about John’s struggles and subsequently agrees to meet him, which allows John to enter the Wheelers’ lives. In a moment of candidness, Frank confides to John their escape from the “hopeless emptiness” of their routine existence.

As preparations for the move intensify, Frank finds himself reevaluating his choices. Inspired by thoughts of Paris, he submits a sarcastic piece of work to his boss, only to discover that it is received as brilliant by company executives, leading to a promotion offer. Meanwhile, April’s unexpected pregnancy complicates their plans, and tension escalates when Frank learns that she is contemplating abortion. Enraged, he confronts April, igniting a fierce argument between them. April, determined to escape their current reality, feels that Paris represents their only hope for a fresh beginning, while Frank’s disdain for abortion deepens his reluctance to abandon their established life.

Following a night out at a jazz bar, where a series of events leads April and Shep to dance passionately and share an intimate moment, Frank confesses to having an affair in a desperate attempt to mend their fractured relationship. Instead of offering solace, April reveals that she has emotionally detached from him, leaving Frank in disbelief. Tensions peak during a dinner with the Givings, where John confronts Frank about his choices, accusing him of undermining April’s aspirations and manipulating circumstances to maintain control over her dreams.

After a tumultuous evening, Frank’s drunken stupor turns to shock the next morning when he finds April in the kitchen, seemingly returning to normalcy. They share a seemingly pleasant breakfast, yet after Frank leaves, April privately succumbs to despair, preparing for her own abortion, which tragically leads to her death at the hospital. Frank, in a state of disbelief, tells Shep that “she did it to herself,” haunted by the loss of the women he once loved.

In the aftermath, a new couple moves into their home, with Milly recounting the bittersweet tale of the Wheelers to the new residents. She reveals that Frank has retreated to the city to devote his life to his children, suffocated by the weight of his decisions. In a moment of reflection, when Helen praises the new couple as suited for the home, Howard questions why she doesn’t acknowledge the Wheelers. Helen dismisses their memory, labeling them as too whimsical, while Howard turns off his hearing aid, signifying his desire to forget.