Mrs. Elsbeth's life is the picture of perfection. She has the perfect house, the perfect husband, the perfect best friend, and the perfect garden filled with perfect tulips. But when cracks appear in her world - strange behavior and yelling at the house next door, a husband that's always gone, and a mailbox full of postcards saying "help us" - she will go to any lengths to ignore any indication of trouble, even if it's happening right in front of her.
This film initially looked like a 1950s sitcom. It is shot in black and white, with actors in the Leave It To Beaver archetype, and very campy music. At first it reminded me of the movie Pleasantville as it certainly matched both the style and rather sardonic sentiment.
When it starts out, a viewer could be a bit confused, as they might actually assume that the film is set in the 1950s, but the houses are far too modern and there is even a mention of Oprah. After a while, it does finally become clear that the film is set in modern times, but the campy nature is an attempt to capture a frame of mind. No era in American culture has been more idealized than the 1950s, after all. (Other than that little issue with McCarthy, that is.)
The acting in this film is superb. Heather Dilly as Mrs. Elsbeth perfectly nails the June Cleaver persona, and Sandra Shipley as her neighbor and best friend played a wonderfully two-faced character – half perfect wife and mother; half over-sexed, sarcastic, and almost sociopathic swinger.
This film is really more about an attitude than the characters themselves; an obsession and preoccupation with one’s own life to the point of ignoring any and all unpleasantries – even if they’re happening right in front of one’s eyes. This point is made increasingly obvious as Mrs. Elsbeth hears yelling from next door and continues to ignore it. Eventually she encounters the next-door neighbor Mr. Runihura, and even though his behavior is clearly disturbing, she continues to pretend as if nothing is wrong.
My only concern about the fact that Mr. Runihura has issues in this largely white world are the possible racial implications. The “perfect” people in the neighborhood are WASPs, while the residents who are of a different race happen to live in the one house where abuse and neglect is occurring. One might assume that people like Mrs. Elsbeth would be naturally suspicious of those who are different from them, and refuse to admit that anything bad could be happening in a household exactly like theirs.
