Best Actress 2002: Julianne Moore in Far From Heaven

Julianne Moore received her 5th Oscar nomination for playing Cathy Whitaker, a suburban housewife of the 50's in Far From Heaven. Unlike Moore's Laura Brown in The Hours, Cathy starts out very happy. She loves her husband and children and loves taking care of them. But then she finds her husband and another man kissing and she starts having feelings for her African-American gardener which stirs gossip and unrest in the town society. This performance has to be one of the greatest of all time. Moore is so wonderful in capturing Cathy's love for her children and her husband and she completely carries Far From Heaven. The film is a great one (and was robbed of Best Picture and Directing nominations), but without Moore, it would be nothing. The scenes with her best friend Eleanor (Patricia Clarkson) are great and it's so sad what happens to their friendship at the end. Moore is just incredible with Dennis Haysbert, who plays the man she falls in love with. You really can get the sense that she, despite her love for her family, wants something more and wants to be with this man. It's very deep, subtle work and so devastating. That look at the train station is one of the best close ups ever. So heartbreaking. If you haven't seen this performance, see it now. Julianne Moore gives one of the most layered, heartbreaking, and beautiful performances of all time which gets