Rating: 
Summary: it's not the brady bunch
Review: the best movie ever made about screwed-up families...kevin spacey's oscar victory is well-deserved. he is the film...his character's involvement with the teenage girl is cliched...though , thru her, he reaffirms his manhood....i remember back when the elder george bush was president; he made a comment about the television show, the simpons: " we need an america more like the waltons, than like the simpsons." it was later rumored that george bush cheated on barbara; and as his recovering addict frat-boy son now runs the country, movies about dysfunctional families are the norm.most families are screwed. some just hide their flaws better than others....
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I absolutely love this movie. Not particularly because of Sam Mendes' incredible directing ability. Not because of the acting or the plot itself. I love this movie because of Alan Ball's infectuous and quotable script. Mixed reviews were inevitable. It's easy to see how one could find a film like this boring, predictable and shallow. But it's become clear to me that you have to be in a particular mindset and understand what the film is trying to illustrate to completely appreciate it. As the tagline says, you simply need to "look closer..." The writing. This has to be one of the best screenplays written since Robert Towne wowed me with his script for Chinatown. Spacey's delivery of smartass and sarcastic quips is dead-on. Not only that, but it's true to modern living. Lester Burnham's views on life are as equally as clever and thought-provoking as Tyler Durden's ideas were in Fight Club. It's clear as day that Sam Mendes has a bright, shining future in cinema. The pacing of this film is so perfect, and the camera angles so stylish, it makes it almost impossible to even contrive of reaching for the STOP button on your remote. This man has created nothing short of an American masterpiece for all of us to delve our minds and feelings into for generations to come. Regardless of the majority of opinions from people, American Beauty deserved all the praise it's recieved. And it's more than worth the hype it's gotten. I'm beginning to see Spacey in a new light; before watching this film, I found him a little overrated, but talented all the same. I'm also very eager to see what Mendes pulls off next. Let us hope and pray that he teams up with Alan Ball again. As far as the DVD goes, it's pretty good; nothing amazing. The extras are a little on the slim side (outtakes?), but the picture and sound quality are stellar. Lester Burnham says in regards to things like DVDs, "This isn't life! This is just stuff." But on the contrary, this movie IS life. And it's never been presented more exquisitely.
Rating:
Summary: This is not the best film ever.
Review: This was a good film. Entertaning as watching home movies of a disturbed family on vacation. Okay, without Kevin Spacey, is this movie worth anything? If you saw it on a box that promoted it as 'Best of Sundance'? Of course not. The industry hype has sold you on it's genius, it's cutting edgeness, etc... It'a Robert Altman film without Roger Altman, folks. He's been doing films *exactly* like this one for years. I'm not an Altman fan, so I'm trying to comapare them. As I said, a good film. Not a great one, and certainly not worth giving an Oscar to.
Rating:
Summary: A dark and stunning masterpiece.
Review: American Beauty Score: 99/100 Wow...no, I mean that. American Beauty is a film that takes my breath away each time I watch it, and every time I do watch it, I notice something newer, something more exciting and something more funny. There is honestly no other movie like this, and if you haven't seen it, there is something donged in your head, and you must do so now. Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is in a mid-life crisis, caused by his stressed wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) and rebelling teenage daughter Jane (Thora Birch). When Lester and Carolyn go watch Jane cheerleading, they meet Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari), and Lester, caught in sudden lust for Angela, decides to change his life. Angela and Jane's friendship is not all it seems, too, because Angela only brags about how many times she's done it with guys and stuff. That doesn't help an already insecure Jane very much but she finds solace in the arms of the next-door-neighbours' son, Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley). Ricky, himself from a broken home as well, and Jane find they have a lot in common and eventually turn out to be soulmates. Everything about this film is so darkly clear, it is extremely obvious why the Academy loved it, and it is very obvious to see that I love it. Spacey brings Lester wildly to life in a performance reminiscent of Spacey's acting coach Jack Lemmon. Also on top form is Annette Bening, in an over-controlled performance that is just so instantly loveable. While all the attention went to these performers, it is also Thora Birch (especially), Mena Suvari, Wes Bentley and a quiet Allison Janney that manage to steal the show just as much. Sam Mendes is an excellent director, this is his first feature, and he is a British man directing an American-based film! And he won an Oscar for it! That's an amazing achievement, ditto to Alan Ball, who's script is effectively a stunner and an instant winner. The best film of 1999, the best film of the decade and for now anyways, American Beauty stands tall as the best film ever made.
Rating: 
Summary: Worst
Review: I stopped seeing movies since this one. Of all the Oscar winners, this is definitely the worst in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Film Ever
Review: I love this movie. It is my all time favorite film. Many pf the people that I know that have seen it don't get it, and therefore don't like it. I think it is a beautifuly made film showing us how we see beauty in the world. The perfect american family on the outside but on teh inside is where the real beauty lies. When we think of beauty we all see the rose petals and the beautiful girl but this movie shows us the real beauty in everyday life. the way one event can change a man's life forever, a bag floating in the wind. It asks us to look at life at a different angle and find the beauty there, and everywhere.
Rating:
Summary: A film truly deserving of the title of Best Picture
Review: Unlike some other films of the recent past. And to me it was a miracle that a film such as this could garner enough appeal both with the academy and the public alike. Because much of what the film portrays is not necessarily so flattering about the society in which we live. This film touched on many taboo subjects which I don't want to get into so as not to ruin the film for first time viewers. And most importantly it attacks those subject areas head on with a take no prisoners attitude. In my mind the real question is just what is true American Beauty. Well the one thing that I came away with is that real beauty is not what the majority of our society thinks it is. Meaning that outward beauty and strength are not necessarily synonomous with inner (true) beauty. And as George Costanza found out that sometimes the opposite of what you think... is often true. What is ultimately expressed by the film is the notion that appearances, respect, and adulation from friends, spouses, relatives or society at large is meaningless without self respect and self direction. A radical concept for our predominately superficial mindset. Kevin Spacey is phenomenal. An absolute Classic!
Rating:
Summary: Clever Movie
Review: American Beauty was a very clever motion picture, but there were a few parts of the movie that lagged a little bit. Namely, the parts where Kevin Spacey and Mena Suvari were absent. I think too much of the middle of the movie focused heavily on the two teenage kids, and those parts were kind of slow. I really wished that the movie had a bit more of the entertaining Kevin Spacey, and the drop-dead gorgeous Mena Suvari. (The scene between Spacey and Suvari toward the end was awesome!) Overall, the movie was entertaining, and I would beable to see it again, mainly because of Mena Suvari. She's a babe! I highly recomend this movie for a quiet night at home!
Rating:
Summary: My favorite film of all time
Review: The first time I saw this film I was at a very difficult time in my life, but this film helped me look at the world in a completely different manner. Of course there are several different themes woven into the story, the one that stood out to me was the idea of beauty in the world. This film taught me that I shouldn't focus all my attention into just one thing because there is so much beauty in the world that to lock onto just one thing means you block everything else out. This frame of mind allows you to live life to the fullest by not missing out on the glorious world that surrounds us. From the moment the film ended the first time, I was in love with the script, cinematography, direction, and acting. However, it wasn't until I bought American Beauty on DVD did I realize how much of an artist Sam Mendes really is. Through his commentary and storyboard review with cinematographer Conrad Hall you begin to understand the technique he took in handling this story. I'm looking forward to his next project, whatever it will be.
Rating:
Summary: Cultural Profundity from a Sage Director & Used Car Purveyor
Review: Talk about hip! Talk about fresh!! Talk about your biting social commentary!!! It doesn't get any better than this!!!! I mean, when have you ever before seen surburbia protrayed as a hotbed of hypocrisy and neurosis? Military men as homophobic repressed gays? Drug-dealing and -using adolescents who're really, deep down, pretty cool guys, if a little eccentric? Middle-aged men drooling over ripe young honeys? A homosexual couple who're the only well-adjusted people around? After my second viewing, I've concluded that AB is a brilliant parody of PC values made by sly social conservatives. Viewed thus, I give it a gazillion stars.
| 
