DVD Review: Revolutionary Road

The other Kate Winslet movie that didn’t garner her an Oscar (or even a nomination), Revolutionary Road is an adaptation of “writer’s writer” Richard Yates’ highly regarded 1961 novel about marriage and suburbia in ’50s America. It’s a bleak view that’s brought to the screen by director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) and a talented cast, which is led by Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as a young Connecticut couple whose dreams and lives are deadened and begin to unravel. With its dour outlook and tragic ending, Revolutionary Road is not for all, but it’s undeniably a well-crafted and effectively paced period piece that remains true to its source.

Shelf Talk: Revolutionary Road arrives more than a month after the release of The Reader, and Winslet fans will undoubtedly be ready for another helping of their favorite actress. With its respectable reviews, Mendes’ credibility and the appeal of its stars, this one is poised to be one of the second quarter’s biggest dramas. And don’t forget your literary-minded customers who are probably familiar with novelist Yates.