Far from Heaven is a 2002 drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes and starring Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid, Dennis Haysbert, and Patricia Clarkson.
The film tells the story of Cathy Whitaker, a 1950s housewife, living in suburban Connecticut as she sees her seemingly perfect life begin to fall apart. It is done in the style of a Douglas Sirk film (especially 1955's All That Heaven Allows and 1959's Imitation of Life), dealing with complex contemporary issues such as race, gender roles, sexual orientation and class.
The film, which received extremely positive critical reviews (and a Fresh rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes), was nominated for several Academy Awards: for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Julianne Moore), Best Original Screenplay (Todd Haynes), Best Cinematography (Edward Lachman), and Best Original Score (Elmer Bernstein).
Theatrical songwriting team Scott Frankel and Michael Korie are currently working with Richard Greenberg on an Off Broadway-bound musical adaptation. The musical is set to open at Playwrights Horizons in Spring of 2013. Kelli O'Hara will star in the central role.