On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 87% based on 221 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "An exquisitely designed and performed melodrama, Far From Heaven earns its viewers' tears with sincerity and intelligence."[10] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 based on 37 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[11]
Jonathan Rosenbaum called the film a masterpiece and considered it a companion of Haynes' earlier film Safe (1995) in its use of "the same talented actress to explore suburban alienation in comparably gargantuan consumerist surroundings".[12] Regarding the casting of Raymond, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian wrote that "Haysbert brings a Poitier-esque dignity and poise."[13]
The film was nominated in four categories at the 75th Academy Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Julianne Moore), Best Original Screenplay (Todd Haynes), Best Cinematography (Edward Lachman), and Best Original Score (Elmer Bernstein).[14] At the Venice Film Festival, it was nominated for the Golden Lion, while Moore won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress and Lachman won a prize for Outstanding Individual Contribution.
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?, a website that gathers various critics' polls, found Far from Heaven to be the 56th most acclaimed film of the 21st century.[15] In August 2016, BBC Magazine conducted a poll on the 21st century's 100 greatest films so far, with Far from Heaven ranking at number 86.[16] In 2019, The Guardian ranked the film 13th in its list of the best films of the 21st century.[17]
In other media
Theatrical songwriting team Scott Frankel and Michael Korie worked with Richard Greenberg on an Off Broadway-bound musical adaptation. The musical opened at Playwrights Horizons in Spring of 2013. Kelli O'Hara starred in the central role.[18]
