I was lucky in the past week to see a special screening of the new film “Revolutionary Road,” starring Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslett. Chief among the many reasons why I liked the film was the message it sent about relationships.
The characters, played brilliantly by Dicaprio and Winslett, are a young married couple who gets pregnant and moves to suburbs to settle down. The problem? Each seemed to forget to ask themselves what they truly wanted out of life before they made some of their biggest decisions. In order to avoid spoiling the film, I will simply say that the film underscores the need to be conscious and vigilant of your true emotional needs or else you’ll have trouble down the road.
Society advertises that the ultimate social prize is rendered by living up to the quintessential version of the American family – mom and dad, children, and a yard that fences in the grass in which the children play. But what if this life isn’t for everyone? Would it be considered ‘normal’ if a couple loved each other but simply didn’t want children? I am sure that some people would question them: “Why not?” or worse, “Aren’t you afraid you’ll regret it once it’s too late?”
The film “Revolutionary Road” is like an academic version of a talk show that focuses on modern day relationship issues. It urges consciousness and says that each of us must be true to ourselves or else - our sacrifices will later lead to significant resentment. The way out of this problem is to acknowledge that every person is entitled to a unique life path and that we must not judge others who have chosen a path that looks different from our own.
Finally, people must talk openly in their relationships about their plans for their future – what each partner wants and doesn’t want. Discussing these issues early on is much better than discussing them once it’s too late and resentment has been set in stone.
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