In the mid-1950s, the American dream was to get married, buy a house with a white-picket fence, start a family and live the picture-perfect life. Yet, free-spirited Frank Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his aspiring-actress wife April (Kate Winslet) have a different plan in mind: to move to Paris and escape from the suburban conformity around them. When the couple initially meets, it is love at first sight, primarily because they both realize neither of them wants to settle for the "American dream." But after the birth of their daughter, Jennifer (Ryan Simpkins), and son, Michael (Ty Simpkins), they are forced to put their aspirations aside. Before they know it, they are living the hopelessly empty life that they so adamantly abhorred in Sam Mendes' drama Revolutionary Road.

After real estate agent Helen Givings (Kathy Bates) convinces Frank and April that a beautiful home on Revolutionary Road would be ideal for the future happiness of their young family, the Wheelers find themselves trapped in a world of monotonous routine. Frank takes the train, newspaper in hand, every morning to an office job he loathes while April cooks and cleans all day, forming her closest relationship with nosy Givings, who has a habit of dropping by uninvited.

It is only when April begs and finally convinces Frank to abandon their dull lifestyle and move to Paris that their marriage is sparked with excitement and lust. However, the celebration is short-lived when Frank is offered a once-in-a-lifetime promotion at work, causing him to doubt the move altogether. Angry, miserable and inconsolable, April's resentment towards Frank creates a crisis in their marriage and ultimately leads to adultery, deception and verbal abuse on both ends.

"I just wanted to live again. For years I thought we've shared this secret that we would be wonderful in the world. I don't know exactly how, but just the possibility kept me hoping," April explains in an emotional rage.

The characters of Frank and April's married friends Shep (David Harbour) and Milly (Kathryn Hahn) Campbell are a typical couple adhering to gender roles and expectations of the era. While Shep dismisses Frank and April's plan as "unrealistic," he is unable to notice his own wife's sadness and dissatisfaction with their life together. The comparison between the Wheelers and the Campbells is depressing, as each marriage is doomed in its own way.

With an A-list cast and the reunion of Hollywood's favorite on-screen lovers, it is no surprise that the acting in Revolutionary Road is absolutely perfect. The love affair between DiCaprio and Winslet is classic, and proves to critics that the chemistry between Jack and Rose in Titanic was no one-hit wonder.

Similar to Bates' previous roles, Givings' is motherly in an overly judgmental sort of way as she rolls her eyes and quietly mutters her side remarks. Moreover, Givings' character symbolizes society and its expectations in the 1950s, as she only approves of Frank and April's actions when they are conservative and conventional.

Actor Michael Shannon, who plays Givings' middle-aged son John, is another edgy performer in the film who earned an Oscar nod for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Unlike the other characters in the movie who are outwardly or secretly skeptical of Frank and April's plan to get away, John, who has recently been released from a psychiatric ward, finds the plan refreshing and applauds the couple on their attempt to break free from social constraints.

Besides the award-worthy acting, the costume design by Albert Wolsky also adds to Revolutionary Road’s realism. Frank's tan-colored tweed three-piece business suit and hat and April's trendy bob-style hairdo and pencil dress successfully warps the actors and the viewers to a time period when men were praised for being the sole breadwinner and women knew their domain was in the kitchen.

While Revolutionary Road is definitely worth the purchase by itself, the single-disc DVD (DreamWorks Pictures, MSRP: $29.99) and Blu-ray release (MSRP: $39.99) both provide plenty of fascinating bonus features, including the option to listen to commentary from director Mendes and screenwriter Justin Haythe throughout the entirety of the film. Although the average viewer might not be interested in hearing Mendes and Haythe explain the thought process of every decision made in the movie, it is certainly a behind-the-scenes look that aspiring directors and screenwriters will enjoy.

Another bonus feature, "Lives of Quiet Desperation: The Making of Revolutionary Road," presents a documentary-like look at the making of this visual masterpiece complete with interviews and stories from Mendes, Haythe, DiCaprio, Winslet, Bates, Shannon and more. The most intriguing part of the feature is hands-down the events that led to Winslet convincing her real-life husband Mendes to be the director of Richard Yates’ novel Revolutionary Road, which she read and fell in love with during her pregnancy, and slyly talking her best friend DiCaprio into being her on-screen husband. Additionally, the feature takes a close look into the production design of Kristi Zea, the set design of Debra Schutt and the costume design of Albert Wolsky, and the painstaking choices made to accurately transform the on-location sights and each character’s garments into something straight out of the 1950s—even the newspapers used were vintage. These highlights offer viewers insight on the meticulous work put into making a motion picture, which is often times unacknowledged.

There are also five deleted scenes with optional commentary from Mendes and Haythe available on both the DVD and Blu-ray editions. While three of the deleted scenes--“I’m Sorry,” “Birthday” and “Big Shot”--were short clips that were rightfully cut, the other two deleted scenes would have further complemented the movie. “Nothing’s Permanent” shows Frank and a very pregnant April walking into their new home for the first time. The scene also includes a visually beautiful part where Frank lovingly wraps his arms around April and her growing belly as they optimistically look out the front window of their new house. In “Dear Frank,” Frank deals with his marital troubles by crying and pacing through the house in the middle of the night, showing a more emotional side of the character and not the aggressive husband portrayed in the film.

"Richard Yates: The Wages of Truth" is a bonus feature exclusive to the Blu-ray release. The biography on Yates’ life, with background information on his literary works as well as interviews with his family members and close friends, is an educational feature for viewers who are not familiar with Yates’ influential work, as well as for those who admire his writing.

While Revolutionary Road is not the greatest date night movie pick, it does offer complex characters with real-life problems. Realistically, not all love stories end with a happy ending, and this must-see movie certainly proves it. Above all, Revolutionary Road is a tragic love story about a man and a woman and the constant struggles of their marriage.

Revolutionary Road is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.