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American Beauty (1999)

Average rating

(74%)

Starring:	Kevin Spacey \| Sam Roberts \| Annette Bening \| Wes Bentley \| Thora Birch \| Mena Suvari \| Allison Janney \| Peter Gallagher \| Chris Cooper \| Scott Bakula
Director:	Sam Mendes
Studio:	DREAMWORKS HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time:	117 mins
Collections:	100 must-see movies \| Best Picture Oscar Winners
Genres:	Drama
Languages:	English
Released:	November 27, 2000

AMERICAN BEAUTY tells the story of Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), a suburban father who snaps when he becomes disgusted with his stale, repetitive existence. Burnham lets us know in voice-over from the film's opening that this is the day he dies (using the SUNSET BOULEVARD flashback approach), a technique that adds an inevitable tension to the proceedings and keeps the story moving forward at all times. On a whim, Lester quits his job and begins a regression into young adulthood, lifting weights, smoking pot, doing nothing, and discovering the overflowing sexuality of his 16-year-old daughter's best friend, Angela (Mena Suvari). His wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening), has her own midlife crisis of sorts. A real estate agent, she experiences a youthful awakening when super-agent Buddy Kane (Peter Gallagher) seduces her repeatedly. Meanwhile, Jane (Thora Birch), the Burnhams' daughter, is pursued by Ricky (Wes Bentley), the mysterious boy next door who carries a video camera around with him at all times. When Ricky's militaristic father, Colonel Fitts (Chris Cooper), discovers something potentially horrifying on one of his tapes, and when Carolyn's rage for Lester's actions boils over, the time bomb finally explodes.

Screenshots

Rating of 5 stars out of 5

British theatre director Sam Mendes made an astonishing film debut with this sublime black comedy about midlife crises, starring Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening as a bored couple in suburban America. The sexually frustrated Bening begins an affair with estate agent Peter Gallagher; Spacey, meanwhile, fantasises about Mena Suvari, a teenage friend of his daughter's. Their disparate needs make for a comic tragedy of misunderstanding that combines acute observations with side-splitting scenarios. This truly outstanding film (on which Steven Spielberg acted as an uncredited producer) deservedly picked up a clutch of Oscars, including best picture, best director and best actor for Spacey.

Rating of 4 stars out of 5
Halliwell's Film Guide

A terrific, biting comedy of a man dealing, in an adolescent way, with a midlife crisis and the aridities of the life he and those around him are living; it manages not only to expose the inanities of a conformist society, but also to suggest an alternati

Highest rated reviews

44 out of 50 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 4.0 stars
She is a beauty by the way!

A Customer from Leicester, 20th September, 2003

I've always been a fan of movies that stand out from the norm and leave the audience sitting, somewhat stunned, when the credits begin to roll. This movie fit my criteria perfectly. The acting is simply amazing, with some inspired casting, especially the remarkable Kevin Spacey. This movie might have just been put aside if any old person was thrown into each role, but the actors chosen, bring out the fascinating characters the screenwriter penned and the director envisioned.
It's a somewhat serious film, but it's also a black comedy. The more I watch it, the funnier it becomes. I eagerly anticipate the heavier, darker scenes that still put a weight on my chest. This movie may not be a winner with everyone, but if it draws your attention, it's got you caught. Enjoy.

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17 out of 17 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 5.0 stars

Paul#462 from GOUROCK, 16th April, 2004

One of the most moving, darkly witty, yet disturbing movies I've seen. "Magnificent" doesn't really do the impact of this movie justice - but for want of a better word, it's fabulous. Kevin Spacey is typically excellent; and really does have a role that gives him sufficient space to truly shine. Annette Benning is nearly equally wonderful - if it were anyone else but Kevin Spacey alongside her, she'd probably steal the show. The creepy kids also make an excellent debut to the "big time". Whether you're male or female, 18 or 58, I'm sure you'll see the Beauty in this film, American or not. Directed with a very deft touch, you leave the film feeling as if you've been genuinely changed by the emotions of the characters - perhaps because they're all to real in our world today. If there's any film you must see before meeting your maker, this is one of them.

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Most recent reviews

Rated 0.0 stars
Revolutionary

JafarIqbal from , 27th November, 2009

Every now and again, a film comes along that revolutionises cinema. 'Star Wars'. 'The Godfather'. 'Mary Poppins'. 'Citizen Kane'. The list can go on and on; that elite list of cinematic classics that will forever stand the test of time. And in 1999, Sam Mendes directed what could possibly be the last revolutionary film of the twentieth century. That film was 'American Beauty'. Sure, words like 'revolutionary' and 'classic' are thrown around a lot, and some may argue that while 'American Beauty' may be great, it's neither of those words. So, in true rebellious fashion, I'll tell you why I think it is. The first, most amazing aspect of the film is it's deceptively simple plot. Despite the large cast of characters and multiple stories and subplots, the main storyline is simple: a middle-aged man desperate to have sex with a teenager. From a storytelling standpoint, that in itself is fantastic: how such a trivial storyline can produce such high drama. For those who don't know, the story centres around Lester Burnham, played by Kevin Spacey in his career-defining role. Lester is on the verge of a mid-life crisis, unhappy at home, at work, and with himself in general. But once he sees Angela (Mena Suvari), he is suddenly overtaken by a sexual freedom. Quitting his job and dedicating his life to getting fit in preparation for his (hopefully) eventual night of sex with the teen, Lester stops caring about everyone; his cheating wife Carolyn (Annette Bening), his insecure daughter Jane (Thora Birch) and homophobic new neighbour (Chris Cooper in an extremely underappreciated performance). We already know from the very beginning of the film that Lester will die in one year, and the rest of the film sets up how that happens. Which brings us to argument number two for the film being a revolutionary one: very rarely can you get a movie in which every single character is cast and played to perfection. Bening and Cooper, in particular, are immense in their roles. As Carolyn, Lester's wife, Bening displays a nervous breakdown of her own, a hilarious yet poignant contrast to Lester's more liberating experience. Similarly, there is a poignancy in Cooper's role as Colonel Fitz as he struggles with his army background and a changing world. Each actor is given a time to shine, and deliver well beyond expectations; and kudos have to go to writer Alan Ball for developing the characters so well. Ultimately though, it seems this film was tailor-made for Spacey, and he makes it his own. He steals the limelight in every scene and, despite the rather perverted goal he has (wanting sex with a teenager isn't the most redeeming quality), he still manages to make us warm towars him. Having watched it about four times now, I end up seeing different layers and nuances in his performance that weren't apparent the last time. Another thing that struck me whilst watching this time round compared to other times I'd seen the film was it's outstanding soundtrack. It's amazing how the music in a movie can be so easily forgotten or fazed out, but it's incredibly important. In particular, the music playing as Lester fantasises about Angela is excellently composed and adds an entirely unique dimension to the film. When it all comes down to it, what makes 'American Beauty' a classic is the way in which all the different facets of the filmmaking process came together so perfectly. You want good writing? Listen to Lester and Carolyn argue across the dinner table. Good direction? Watch Jane and Ricky watch the dancing bag. Good use of music? When Angela and Lester meet in the living room. Good cinematography? When Colonel Fitz stands in the rain outside the garage. Good editing? Watch the opening montage. All those neccessary parts of the jigsaw fit together effortlessly, and very few films can claim to have done that. A truly revolutionary film.

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Rated 2.0 stars
Cynical

HuddsOn from , 30th September, 2009

Lester Burnham (the Kevin Spacey character) is exaggerated, but not altogether unbelievable. Truculent, irritable, boorish, self-centred, amoral, misanthropic and incapable of showing gratitude or affection, he is the embodiment of a society that has lost it's moral compass, in which all rules and restraints can be abandoned in pursuit of short-term pleasure. So you could say it's making a statement about how we live today. But what I found troubling was that Burnham's views are never really challenged or exposed to counter-argument, except (kind of) very near the end. He gets all the best lines, he gets to do all the voiceovers, and I felt that the film was trying to manipulate me into sympathising with him, which I couldn't as I found him utterly creepy and unlikeable. His ex-military brute of a neighbour is a total caricature and his son is nothing but an aimless spaced-out waster. It could have been better if the filmmakers had shown less cynicism towards their characters and had developed them more evenly.

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