Themes: Doctors and Patients, Battling Illness, Crumbling Marriages
Main Cast: Mary Carver, Julianne Moore, Peter Friedman, Xander Berkeley, James LeGros, Kate McGregor-Stewart
Release Year: 1995
Country: US
Run Time: 121 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Todd Haynes presents a revisionist take on the paranoia thriller with this story of a Southern California housewife who suddenly falls victim to an inexplicable, apparently incurable illness. Carol White (Julianne Moore) lives with her husband and son in suburban comfort until she collapses one day, for no apparent reason. Her condition worsens in the weeks that follow, as she suffers from coughing fits, exhaustion, and spontaneous nose bleeds, triggered by sources as disparate as car exhaust, cologne, and the sun. Failing to find any medical explanation for her maladies, her doctor refers her to a psychiatrist, who suggests that her physical ailments are psychosomatic -- a theory echoed by her callous and increasingly frustrated husband. At her wits' end, Carol withdraws to an expensive New Age retreat for sufferers of "20th century disease," where the community's guru (Peter Friedman) champions a dubious regimen of diet, climate control, introspection, and self-love. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
Review
After the formal acrobatics of Poison, his 1991 feature debut, writer-director Todd Haynes applied his rigorous, philosophical aesthetic to the venerable genre of the "disease film" with Safe. In the process, Haynes asserted himself not only as a highly skilled, unconventional auteur but also as a savvy chronicler of late-century fear and dread. The film's subject matter lends itself to a plethora of interpretations -- environmental cautionary tale, satire of spiritual vacancy, AIDS allegory -- but Haynes refuses to single out a particular rationale, exploring an epidemic's stigmas and psychological baggage more than the epidemic itself. Aiding the director is Julianne Moore, who imbues Carol, the meek, vapid housewife, with a uniquely sympathetic quality without resorting to the pity-inducing simpering of a conventional issue-movie heroine. Haynes and cinematographer Alex Nepomniaschy give the picture's Southwestern landscapes an arid, minimalist look that owes as much to Michelangelo Antonioni's Red Desert (1964) as to such paranoia thrillers as The Stepford Wives (1975). But the director forgoes the blunt, predictable rhythms of conventional thrillers for a more laconic, nightmarish approach: conversations dangle long after they're finished, and Carol's protracted physical breakdowns enhance the aura of helplessness. Though Safe had a limited theatrical run, it established Moore as one of the most challenging actresses in Hollywood, alternating high-budget, high-profile productions with memorable independent films; for Haynes, the film marked his graduation from New Queer Cinema pioneer to more rarified "maverick" status, invigorating diverse subject matter with his unique worldview. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
Set in an affluent neighbourhood of the San Fernando Valley in 1987, the film recounts the life of a seemingly unremarkable homemaker, Carol White (Julianne Moore) who develops multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS, also known as "Twentieth-Century Disease"). MCS is a medically controversial diagnosis in which a person develops allergic reactions to the visible and invisible toxins found in everyday household and industrial chemicals.
Carol passes her days with activities such as gardening, taking clothes to the dry cleaners, and attending aerobics classes. Her marriage is stable but devoid of emotional intimacy, and her son is actually a stepson from her husband's previous marriage. Similarly, her friendships are polite but distant.
As she goes about her routine, she slowly begins to develop unpredictable and strange bodily reactions, such as persistent exhaustion, uncontrollable coughing (when surrounded by truck exhaust while driving), asthma-like symptoms (at a baby shower), nose bleeds (when getting a perm at a hair salon), vomiting, and eventually convulsions (at the dry cleaners).
Doctors are able to isolate only one chemical she reacts to after she undergoes an allergen test; milk, which she drinks frequently in the movie without incident. Doctors are at a loss of how to help her cope or cure her. She attends some psychotherapy sessions but does not gain any insight into her condition.
After seeing an ad at her community centre, she eventually resorts to moving to the New Age/religious retreat in the desert called Wrenwood, which is designed to help people suffering from MCS recover.
Awards
1996 Independent Spirit Awards - Nominated for Best Director (Todd Haynes), Best Feature, Best Female Lead (Julianne Moore), and Best Screenplay (Todd Haynes)
1995 Boston Society of Film Critics Awards - Best Cinematography - Alex Nepomniaschy
1995 Seattle International Film Festival - American Independent Award - Todd Haynes
1996 Rotterdam International Film Festival - FIPRESCI Prize Special Mention - Todd Haynes
