48. FAR FROM HEAVEN
 
United States
dir. Todd Haynes
world premiere 2002
U.S. release 2002

 

 
Because Haynes respects his audience enough to engage our intellects and our cultural memories, while caring enough about us to grasp and reward our emotional needs. Heaven has a few built-in release valves where we laugh at outmoded manners and aesthetics, but mostly we hand over our hearts to Cathy Whitaker, in whose longings and failings almost every viewer has some stake.