Skipping Town

I can’t complain about the Tower movie theater and restaurant, located in a landmark building in Sacramento. The theater has soft, comfortable seats that seem—in shabby chic style—just one extra pound away from breaking; and the theater, which opened in 1938, has an air of pleasant decay. The film lineup is always outstanding, and, happily, one thing I simply cannot say is “That film will never come to Sacramento”—in all likelihood, it might. Connected to the theater is the Tower Cafe, where we sometimes have a burger before or after a movie. There are outdoor tables tucked in among palm trees and planters; not a bad place to while away a little time.

For anyone who hasn’t read Revolutionary Road , the story goes something like this: two bright young people, Frank and April, meet and fall in love in New York City; an accidental pregnancy sends them to the suburbs and traps Frank in a corporate job he scorns. As the years slip away and their seemingly destined great achievements remain out of reach, they decide to take matters into their own hands and move to Paris, where Frank can “find himself” while April supports him. Their planning rejuvenates them, but it ultimately goes awry because of yet another unplanned pregnancy. Frank is secretly relieved; April is devastated. Her death at the end is a tricky blend of accident and suicide. This bare-bones summary ignores pretty much everything that makes this book so brutally amazing: The self-consciousness of every word the Wheelers speak. The secret pride Frank feels in his work, which he is forced to continuously deny through bitter irony and distain lest he be just like everyone else...