Rating: 
Summary: Not for parents
Review: Well filmed with good acting that covers a trite premise, that a working fathter can quit his job, drop out, start smoking dope, and get lucky with his teenage daugher's girlfriend. Then throw in cheating spouses, drug dealing teenagers as heros, and homophobia from a military character, suicide, murder, and a large part of the movie concentrating on lust by a parent for a teenager, I can't imagine any of the rave reviews are coming from parents, I can see people who are not parents seeing it as a real rebellious hero movie. The quality of the acting is very good.
Rating: 
Summary: Reality.
Review: This movie is simply about the reality of life. Just as Shakespeare was able to use the human character and write many great works, so do the authors of this film. It simply is about our lives, our very deep secrets, our deepest dreams, and finally, about somebody shaking us, so we can face it. Unfortunately, life is sometimes hard to accept. But the main theme of the film is that "there is awesome beauty everywhere".The acting was also superb!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent DVD
Review: As an aspiring screenwriter, I was really impressed by the extra features on this DVD. My favorite feature works on a PC with a DVD; unfortunately it doesn't work on your TV's DVD player. It contains a copy of the script broken up in chapters. You can read each part of the script and play that part of the movie in a small separate window while you read along. I'm hoping this will be an excellent learning tool for me. Now for the movie itself: I loved it. I wish I could give it four and a half stars since I reserve those 5 star ratings for true classics. It remains to be seen yet if this becomes a real classic. There was a line in Kevin Spacey's voiceover that goes something like this: "You know, it's been said that every day is the first day of the rest of your life. And that's true of every day except one: the day you die." I was struck by this line the very first time I watched this movie in the theater, and I instantly wished that I had written it. This is a tribute to Alan Ball, who wrote a fantastic script.
Rating:
Summary: A SPOILER
Review: I certainly agree that this was a great film with a super performance by Kevin Spacey. However, I subtract a star for the portrayal by Chris Cooper, the retired colonel, as a homosexual (it's almost politically corect to have gays in many pictures now). How does this further the plot in anyway? He could just as well be a straight and nasty an authorative person who can't understand his son. This an old and hoaky Hollywood standby. I remember when all homosexuals in films were described as "latent."
Rating:
Summary: This film IS an American Beauty...
Review: Wow! This movie truly took me by surprise. One of the best films I have seen in a long, long time. A truly fabulous script, flawless acting, and beautiful cinematography make this an excellent film. Worthy of every award it has received.
Rating: 
Summary: American Beauty is only Skin Deep
Review: Every now and then you see a film you initially think of as ground-breaking, until you start to think about it. American Beauty is such a film. What most bothered me about this film was its message that those of us in suburbia are repressed hypocrites who secretly hate our lives. Perhaps most disturbing was its portrayal of Marine Colonel Frank Fitz as a pseudo-Nazi who abuses those around him--this is (yet another) thinly veiled slap by Hollywood at the military. When all is said and done, this movie really says nothing of substance about American society. If you want to see the best example of film as social commentary, I recommend "Fight Club.
Rating: 
Summary: DISGUSTING!
Review: I DON'T LIKE THIS CUZ IT GOT TOO MUCH NUDIYY AND CURSING I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THORA BIRCH!! I DON'T BLAME KRISTEN DUNST FOR NOT WANTING TO BE IN THIS GROSS MOVIE!! I WOULD RECOMMEND IT FOR ANGES 14 UP! UGH.
Rating:
Summary: American Meltdown
Review: American Beauty is possibly the darkest black comedy ever made. The movie follows the midlife crisis that Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) goes through. Lester seems to have the perfect suburban life, a pretty wife, nice daughter, perfect house a good job. But he is far from happy. Lester hates everything about his life. He goes to see his daughter cheer at a high school basketball game and sees the nubile, young Angela (Mena Suvari). He is taken aback by her beauty and has a fantasy involving alot of rose petals. He ends up quitting his job (getting a great severance deal through blackmail), buys a muscle car, starts jogging and lifting weights to get in shape and takes a job working at a fast food burger joint. His wife Carolyn (Annette Benning) is an aggressive real estate agent who ends up having an affair with a rival agent, The King (Peter Gallagher). She can't understand Lester and is constantly nagging him. Meanwhile their daughter Jane (Thora Birch) starts a relationship with their new next door neighbor, Ricky (Wes Bentley). Ricky is an intensely weird kid, he films just about everything (including Jane) and just so happens to sell pot. While Jane & Ricky are becoming more intimate, Ricky is dealing dope to Lester. The movie is one of the strangest, funniest and disturbing films to come along in along time. Mr. Spacey is absolutely brilliant as Lester. He brings along for Lester's meltdown. Ms. Benning is equally as good as his wife. Mr. Spacey deservedly won his second Oscar and first Best Actor award for the role and the film took home the Best Picture award and the Best Director award (Sam Mendes), who films the movie in an heavenly aura and uses an impressive soundtrack and a Best Screenplay award (Alan Ball) for it's twisting, original script.
Rating:
Summary: The Rise of Middle America
Review: Finally an Oscar winner with some teeth! I watched this movie several months ago, and approached the whole thing with an open mind, which was probably a good idea as this is not a conventional film in many senses, that's maybe why it's so good. It's the story of a normal dysfunctional suburban family, could be like many others. But the lead character suddenly, rebels, breaks the stereotype and in doing so refuses to be downtrodden anymore. If you like it's about the rise and eventual fall of this anti-hero and how anyone of us in the that situation could do the same. It has the feel of a few other recent movies following a similar track; Fight Club would be another example of this, another one of my favourites. As with this film it asks the question "Do things have to be this way? And why should we live as others would see us and want us to be" Definitely a refreshing change from the usual strain of mainstream movies, and the fact that this film was awarded an Oscar is proof of that. It's not a bitter movie, as the story may suggest, it just emphasises the things around us that over time we may have forgotten. The main character if you like awakens from a slumber of the last 20 years to finally see and appreciate the simple things around him which can give his life purpose. It's a simple idea, but then the simple ideas make the best movies, and this is one of the very best. Watch it whenever you can, it's a simple complicated story of human nature.
Rating:
Summary: Back For Another review of this fantastic film . . . . . . .
Review: I originally went to watch this film in a huge open air theatre in the middle of Glastonbury Festival 2000, unfortuanatly the film was on at 2am so about ten minutes into the film(after much partying that day) i went to sleep. this however does not reflect the film. When the DVD was finally released in the UK i obviously bought it to see the film and i still say after watching several times that the film is brilliant!! Although i have to agree with some of the reviews on this site about failing to remember the content of the film, but i see this as an advantage so that you can watch the film over again. Anyone who hasnt bought this film, should do. Or if you want, rent it just to see whats it like. Then you have the option of either taking it back cos you dont like it, or you can go out and buy your own copy. Doug Inman, Swanage, Dorset - UK
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