Rating: 
Summary: American Beauty Rocks
Review: This movie was the best movie of the '99 year. For once the Oscars actually got it right. The movie is about family, and aging, and the things that motivate people. Lester Burnham (Spacey) is having a mid-life crisis of sorts where he realizes that his marriage is empty, his relationship with his daughter is severely lacking. That's when his youthful next door neighbor opens his eyes to the real wonders of the world. This is an incredible movie with awesome performances handed down by all the actors. At times funny, at times touching, this movie is a true must see. The DVD presentation of the DVD is decent. The commentaries are informative, the picture and sound are excellent. Most of the documentaries on the disc are closer to fluff and probably not something you'll watch over and over, and enough time is spent talking about the cutscenes that one would have hoped that they made it onto the disc. Still, this movie does sell itself and comes with very high marks.
Rating:
Summary: STELLAR
Review: This was a stunning and spectacular film, visually, creatively and structurally. The story is poignant, beautifully told and acted, and somehow very close to home for many of the people who see it. Suburban family life looks very neat and happy but who knows what kinds of complex problems lie beneath the surface? This film shows us a glimpse of that bitter reality. Marriages fall apart, people change but change in different ways from each other, people alienate each other, parents beat their children, parents ignore their children, parents are humans with human desires, people have nervous breakdowns, people have affairs, people hate their jobs, kids lie about their personal lives to try to be cool, people build facades... it is a wicked and vicious game society as a whole plays, and this film brilliantly conveys all the plots, subplots and layers that occur everyday. The acting is stupendous. The accolades and praise this film received were more than well deserved.
Rating: 
Summary: Deep, moving masterpiece of a movie!
Review: Wow, I was totally blown away by this movie. There is so much depth here, and so much meaning that every time I finish watching it I feel a bit more alive and focused on what is really important in life... I feel sorry for the self-righteous people who rail against certain elements of it (pot, cheerleaders) and never really look close enough to see what's there. I love this movie- for its darkness, its funniness, its inexorable momentum that builds and builds as its memorable characters struggle to break free from their bleak, false existences to try to find themselves in a conformist suburban society. As things come apart you are faced with the question of which extreme is worse, living totally confined by social mores or throwing them all out and following one's (in some cases dark) nature. But at the heart of it all is the search for meaning in life, and the movie offers you a wonderful, gentle, feather-light feeling that maybe just to be alive, and be able to see and appreciate all the beauty in the world is all the meaning you need.Watch it with an open heart and open mind and you may find more than you expected...
Rating: 
Summary: Thought provoking yes, BUT WHY SO SLOW???
Review: Yes you have already heard that this is a deep, thought provoking film with good performances. Thats true. What absolutely kills me is WHY does every sentence take all day during a serious scene? All this does for me is make the movie look hokie and makes me take it less seriously! I mean does anybody actually have conversations where there's like 30 seconds between every sentence??? Why do movies do that?!!? WHYYY????? Okay I'm better now... This actually is a pretty good movie, I just need to settle down... WHYYYYYY
Rating:
Summary: For intelligent people, not morons
Review: This is not a bad movie at all. It does however take an individual with a half bit of creativity, imagination and intelligence to see this movie for what it's worth. If you're the kind of person that can see past the figurative shell of the movie than this is the movie for you. If you are the kind of person that only watches movies where everything is laid out in front of you for you to sit back and not have to think, of course, you will not like this flick. American Beauty is about our crazy, messed up society in the good old US of A in the suburbia that more than half of us live in. It is also the story of everyone, hiding or changing their true selves to fit a desirable lifestyle. Watch this movie if you are into reading into the movie for underlying meanings and symbolism. The acting is suberb also. Important: dont waste your time with this or any other good movie if follow along the same foolishness that Mar. 23's review delivers.
Rating: 
Summary: Horrible
Review: I agree; the movie was absolutely disgusting. It was revolting to see a middle-aged man go gaga for a highschool cheerleader. The way it was presented in the movie was disturbing. I just couldn't get over that part. It is inconceivable to think that people thought that part was funny and liked the movie, not to mention that it won awards. In the theatre, many women were expressing their distaste for the movie. Save your money.
Rating:
Summary: A little overrated, but still good
Review: I agree with most of the other reviewers, especially Kellye, about this movie having its paradox and controversial sequences, it does, but the movie keeps going and getting more complex, so it doesn't make you think about them all that much while you're watching. Lester (Kevin Spacey) is having a lot of trouble with his family, which includes his wife Carolyn (Annette Bening), and his daughter Jane (Thora Birch). Everything between the three with the help of some new neighbors, just keeps getting worse until everything explodes. Even with the minor controversy, paradox, and things that don't fit into "American Beauty," it's still a pretty good movie. I guess you can simply describe the movie by saying that the whole movie itself is a lot better than its separate parts. If you judge "American Beauty" as a whole instead of by its separate parts, you'll have more of a chance to like it. There are millions of families that are probably having the same types of problems that the ones in the movie had, so many people will probably understand it better than other people will. I think "American Beauty" is overrated, but Kevin Spacey did deserve to win Best Actor because he did a spectacular job in the movie. If you want to see one of the best motion pictures of 2000, I definitely recommend watching or getting "American Beauty."
Rating:
Summary: Save your money
Review: This has got to be the second worst movie I have EVER seen (there has to be a worse one; but I've erased it from memory). The story is about as disgusting as it gets. Talk about a strange collection of people!! I was absolutely horrified that this won awards; it's selection totally killed my respect for movie making. If you enjoy an entire movie about strange neighbors, a middle aged man that is obsessed with a cheerleader and spends his time masterbating and smoking pot, a neurotic wife, a really wierd daughter, and predictable plot (now who ever thought that the girl WASN'T a virgin)... Well, this is the movie for you!
Rating: 
Summary: Beauty?
Review: 'American Beauty' has a lot of hoopola, but the story doesn't go anywhere. Most of it is filled with sensationalism and nonsense dialogue. There is scene where Kevin Spacy is impressed by the young kid's rebelliousness. He says, "I think you just became my personal hero". Give me a break, a grown man impressed by some young punk's antics. Throughout the film, I wanted to slap that kid wanting him to wake up to reality. All throughout, he has a dreamy look in his eyes. I don't know who is more withdrawn; that character or the audience for believing his garbage. Spacy, the actor everyone seems to love, acts like it is a burden for him to act. There is no juice in his dialogue or acting; all of it seems wooden. Maybe the movie was trying to make some point about life in America, but I didn't believe it. One person to me the point was to enjoy life before it runs out. Yes, I'm sure ruining my family and getting killed is my idea of enjoying life.
Rating:
Summary: Yes
Review: Now yes, this is a great film in my opinion but why do people not find this offensive and find Lolita offensive? Both involve an older man attempting to seduce a minor yes why is lolita considered so much worse?
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