Starring Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Peter Gallagher
Upon discovering Alan Ball's screenplay the good folk at Dreamworks must have been positively drooling. American Beauty is an extraordinary and sharply written film. The viewer is thrown into the crumbling life of Lester Burnham (Spacey), just as daughter Jane's (Birch) friend, the lusty Angela (Suvari), acts as a catalyst for the mother of all mid life crises, involving sex, drugs, and a Pontiac Firebird.
Once Lester decides to turn his life around we are left to watch the proverbial magic unfold. There is no plot to American Beauty, no story that can be succinctly relayed in 25 words or less. Rather, it is a slice of time in which major changes are occurring in the lives of Lester and those around him. Each character evolves as the film progresses, and as each of their lives intertwine you find yourself evermore engrossed in the suburban drama unfolding.
American Beauty is nothing if not character-driven, and when a movie relies on character development rather than special effects or cute teen stars (although, technically both are present) you need a stellar cast. No problems here. Both Spacey and Benning are deserving of their Oscar nominations and the support cast is just as fabulous. A tagline that implores the viewer to 'look closer' would be well heeded.
American Beauty Movie Trailer
American Beauty (1999) - Movie Trailer
Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation for his daughter's attractive friend. Plot Keywords: Homophobic Violence, Marijuana, Crime Of Passion, Narration, Woman Taking Off Pants, Exotica Music, Older Man Younger Woman, Gay Interest, Drive Thru, Red, Violence Against Child, No Opening Credits, Lava Lamp, Oldies, Blonde, Satirical, Broken Dish, Lust, Parental Relationship, Schoolboy, Coming Of Age, Boyfriend Girlfriend Relationship, Husband Wife Relationship, Mother Son Relationship, Singing In Car, Parent Child Relationship, Lyrical, Irreverent, Schoolgirl, Obsession, Marriage Problems, Dysfunctional Marriage, Cynical, Suburbs, Reflection, Barefoot, Family, Colonel, Only Daughter, Buddhist, Shooting Range, Semiautomatic Pistol, Disturbing, Neurotic, Repression, Female Nudity, Teen Angst, Male Rear Nudity, Black Comedy, Remote Controlled Toy Car, Depression, Homosexual, DV Camera, Video Footage, Murder, Real Estate Agent, Bathtub Scene, Self Discovery, Drug Dealing, Drugs, Teen Romance, Voyeur, Suburbia, Beauty, Estranged Couple, Videotape, American Dream, Narration From The Grave, Lolita, Midlife Crisis, Gun, Video Camera, Self Hatred, Blockbuster, Materialism, Nudity, Dysfunctional Family, Domineering Father, Cannabis, Masturbation Scene, Homophobia, Tragedy, Nazi Paraphernalia, Alienation, Kissing, Rose, Neighbor, Parenthood, Teen, Asparagus, Blackmail, Shot In The Head, Face Slap, Gay Slur, Cheerleader, Satire, Cheerleading, Infidelity, Tragicomedy, Vulgarity, Gay Kiss, Closeted Homosexual, Couch, Drug Dealer, Drug Testing, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Family Dinner, Family Relationship, Fast Food Restaurant, Father Daughter Relationship, Friendship, Male Nudity, Mother Daughter Relationship, Murder By Gunshot, Sports Car, Suburb, Teenage Girl, Teenager, Told In Flashback, Urine Sample, Advertising, Anti Hero, Basketball, Cocktail Party, Crush, Cubicle, Dance, Death, Deceit, Domestic Violence, Drug Humor, Fantasy Sequence, Firing Range, Flashback Sequence, Flirting, Garage, Gardening, Gun Collecting, High School, Job Interview, Jogging, Loss Of Husband, Lying, Magazine, Military Officer, Model, Motel, Moving, New Automobile, Plastic Bag, Premarital Sex, Quitting Job, Rainstorm, Realtor, Repressed Homosexual, Sex, Slow Motion, Spit Take, Swimming Pool, Topless, Unhappy Marriage, Unwanted Kiss, Voyeurism, Weight Training, Writer, Adulterous Wife, Hate, Love, Violence, Shower Scene, Camera, Dark Comedy, Humanity, Social Satire, Father Son Conflict, Barely Legal, Blood Splatter, Obscene Finger Gesture, Independent Film, Twist In The End.
Runtime: 3:04
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10 Comments:
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American Beauty (Widescreen Edition)
Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 12/02/2008) 
Rating
I've given this film 9.5 out of 10. I'll have to figure out the best way to run a poll, but for now, give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down.
What I learned from watching this movie...
There's no better quote for everyday use than Spacey's emphatic "I rule!" (including the air punch of course).
What did you learn?
susannaduffy wrote...
Strange, this is one film that managed to annoy me from start to finish. There wasn't one character I could bring myself to like and I had to force myself to keep watching till the end.
I would say it's heavy-handed and pretentious, confuses satire with slapstick and, ultimately, dead boring.
.
Posted August 10, 2008
Squid-Fighting-Champion wrote...
This is one of my favorite movies, it deals with so much and does it so well. One of those movies that makes you sit up and actually feel something.
Great review :)
Posted June 20, 2008
RyanRE wrote...
I really liked American Beauty. I have watched it at least 10 times. Great movie and great lens :D
Posted May 27, 2008
