Rating: 
Summary: wow.
Review: I was hearing all this talk about how powerful a movie American beauty was. I thought that it was just about an middle aged man lusting after a high school cheerleader and I said to myself "how griping of a movie can it be if thats the main plot" and I wrote it [off] ... but then the day came and I talked myself into renting it. well, lets just say that I rented it, watched it four times, rentured it, then walked right in to the store and bought myself a copy. It has been a long time sence a movie or anything else for that matter has touched me as deeply as American beauty did. Its not a movie about A middle aged man lusting after a high school cheerleader its a movie about how we are all surounded by bueaty every day and we forget to realize it. I felt that the movie was a big wake up call for us all to stop go out side ourselfs and see our lifes and and what we can do to make them better. instead of just looking at the sunset. stop and marvel at the pure bueaty of it. "you have no idea what I'm talking about I'm sure. but don't worry, you will someday"
Rating:
Summary: Very enjoyable and touching film
Review: This movie is one of my favorites of recent years. It has a very original screenplay, interesting characters and great dialogue. Not only that, but the performances by all the actors are very good, if not spectacular. Although some parts of the movie rely on overused plot devices to get the message across, it is still a classic.
Rating:
Summary: American Tragedy
Review: "American Beauty" is about Lester Berman who is ignored by his wife, despised by his daughter, and is deeply unsatisfied with his job. Here is a man, so brilliantly portrayed by Kevin Spacey, who so desperately wants to bond and fails at every turn. His wife, done to the hilt by Annette Benning, is a perky, go-get-em real estate broker who, despite her overachieving personality, is apparently unfulfilled with her marriage and her career. The only difference between she and Lester is that Lester doesn't hide his feelings and often offends his wife during their regular spats. Their teenage daughter doesn't seem to care much for either parent, and gets involved with a creepy next-door-neighbor (Wes Bentley) who's being raised by his near comatose mother and tough-as-nails Marine dad. Saying more would spoil it for you, but the movie is an original piece of work that snubs the conventions of modern filmmaking. Its commentaries on dysfunctional relationships, homophobia, isolation, and stereotypes are so dead-on. Sam Mendes directs the film with style and craft, and the screenplay is so wittily written. The DVD is also a solid package. There's a commentary by the director and screenwriter, as well as a brief documentary, and trailers. Of course, they could have put more effort into adding extra features in this DVD, but the film alone is worth the price.
Rating:
Summary: You will not believe what you have just seen
Review: Sam Mendes' Dark, yet enthralling drama about life in the suburbs and the horror it sometimes brings into the life of the typical American family is a masterpiece of American film. The hustle to get the newest things, have the biggest house, be the most popular and to basically have everything you envy, is at the base of this academy award winning film. This movie makes you do exactly what the advertisements say which is to LOOK CLOSER... This movie opens your eyes to the seemingly normal families living in the suburbs of America. This movie tells the story of the Burnham's, Lester(played masterfully in an academy award winning role by Kevin Spacey) the family Patriarch who is in love with his high school daughter's best friend, Carolyn Burnham(in a stellar performance that was academy award nominated, by Annette Benning), who is a real estate agent, with aspirations to be as big as the supposed "KING" of real estate. The Daughter of this couple is played very well by Thora Birch. The acting in this movie will leave you dumbfounded saying "how can someone act like that". This movie is an instant classic with inventive supporting characters, Ricky the marijuana selling, videotaping neighbor. He videotapes everything he can and seemingly has explanations for all of it. The psychotic, image obsessed friend of the Burnham's Daughter(played by Mena Suvari) who says she would consider having an affair with Lester. The bottom line is that this movie is probably one of the best movies in recent memory. It will leave you wanting for more and you will want to watch it again and again. Sam Mendes in his directorial debut could not have done a better job with this film. The cinematography, writing, backgrounds and the little objects and the character's nuances are dead on. One viewing of this film will have you saying ... LOOK CLOSER
Rating: 
Summary: Disturbing, surrealistic
Review: Right from the beginning, you get the message of aloneness of the person and lack of communication in the family. The filming here is absolutely spellbinding. You see image after image of the family so eerily apart. And there is something of this in each person's everyday life. That's one reason why this film is so darn disturbing. This is not an easy film, and I suspect many viewers gave up on it early, rather than try to meld with it and understand what it's truly about. And don't expect me to tell you what it's truly about, because I am sure that there's a subjective element here and that film has different messages for different people, if they will open up to receive it. There are touchy issues here, and it is so easy to misunderstand what the movie is saying. It sure isn't saying that happiness is reverting to the teenage perspective. Kevin Spacey's character does this, but I don't believe he has really found happiness or satisfaction. He, and each character here, is seeking in his or her own way to make sense out of the life they are in, and each has moments of frustration. Like so many looks at life, though, this movie presents more questions than answers. Each somehow messes up, and the question is how could each have done better. Maybe by melting the separation which is so feelingly portrayed here? Lots of intelligent and well meaning people hate this film. If you haven't seen it, I would say to see it and form your opinion. And if you saw it, but hated it...hey, maybe a second look? Might be worth a try...
Rating:
Summary: An examination of the mundane
Review: Hmmm...American Beauty. The movie is showing the beauty in a piece of garbage to contrast the ugliness of the aesthetically pleasing lifestyle of suburbia! Like the cliche, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'! All of our wonderful material possesions, our wants, our desires, all that we strive for are merely illusions substituting as quality. They're just things! The point is emphatically made when Lester Burham tells Carolyn "IT'S JUST A COUCH" when he nearly spills some beer on the fine Italian silk upholstery! The movie encourages the viewer to look closer. To critically examine lifestyle rationalizations, even the mundane! Lester reaches a point of breaking the illusion and sees the world for what it is: a series of decisions all bent on making our lives livable. We Americans(in lieu of looking closer) need 'things', instead of attempting the achievable of mindful awareness that these apparently necessary 'things' will only cause additional anxiety!(case in point:Carolyn's anxiety of possibly spilling beer on the fine Italian silk uphosltery!) We all live there in that place, that illusion of self assured statisfaction...a place that doesn't exist! Ricky Fitts, is perhaps the only sane, stable character in the movie. He saw what denial and our twisted American value system had done to his father. This is far, far too common in America! A challenging and transcendent motion picture!
Rating: 
Summary: American Beauty
Review: Well, it was certainly interesting. The movie captures your attention quickly with Kevin Spacey's statement that he will die. Throughout the movie several possibilities are presented to the viewer as to who will murder him. The plot isn't very realistic, but I don't believe it was meant to be. The drug abuse, the troubled teens, troubled marriages and etc. are all thrown together for exaggerated dramatic effect. Good and amusing movie.
Rating:
Summary: excelent art
Review: this movie was odd. i thought it was the second best film ever made saying only the graduate is better. i like the soundtrack. kevin spaceys a great actor. this is a wonderfull film. i love the acting. the story was a mystery. i love those oscar movies though.
Rating:
Summary: American beauty the real meaning
Review: American beauty wasnt just another movie. If people didnt know it had a very deep meaning. The director of the movie planned it that way. First off the movie was about seeing that life is so fast and hectic and you shouldn't let it pass you. Also dont let people walk over you. Kevin Spacey showed that in the movie. Last but not least you have to work for your moment. It just doesnt happen. By moment i mean your 15 mins of fame. It shows that if you want something bad enough you will get it. I think thats what Spacey showed in the movie. By working out and standing up for him self. He proved that even in the end if you die you can still come out of life feeling good and not down. Dont sit back and let your moment fly by. Work your [butt] off for it and show people that your alot better then they think.
Rating:
Summary: I feel sorry for the people who can't appreciate this...
Review: The bottom line is: This movie is about everyday for MOST people. That's the irony of it. Hence, the movie's catch phrase - "Look closer". Obviously, some people can't seem to look any closer than what they immediate see at the surface, so they don't understand. And not understand is the start of belligerence and negativity. The thing that was innovative about this was the positive message it was trying to send to everyone who watched it, "Do what makes you happy. There is always enough time left in your life. There is always a chance." Kevin Spacey quit his job, in which he was a silent tool used for years, and he did it in a way where he still had a year's worth of pay. It's realistic that he didn't immediately run out of money. And to whomever thinks the point of this movie was to say something along the lines of "Teens are deep. Adults are shallow" was severely mistaken. The movie was about realization. The realization that life is beautiful and that life is such a gift, so why waste it on trivial [stuff]? Do what you feel, whatever makes you happy. LOOK CLOSER. I see know why they adopted that catch phrase for the movie, BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW TO LOOK CLOSER. So they miss the message of the movie and completely [ruined] it. It's just so sad. People miss the message. But to those of you, who actually got the message, if you still didn't like it then...that is your own opinion and you're entitled to it.
I feel the movie is about life and how there's always a chance to change it, to be who you feel. That's why it's such a great movie.
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