Review
American Beauty
- Director
- Sam Mendes
- Year
- 1999
- Rating
- Reviewed by
- José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris
- Review date
- Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) thinks life has nothing else to offer until he meets his beautiful daughter’s best friend Angela (Mena Suvari) and also quits his job in a rebellious new attitude. His wife Caroline (Annette Bening) is a cold real estate agent who seems to become more plastic as each day goes by, constantly clashing with him and setting her sights on her main competitor, Buddy Kane (Peter Gallagher). Meanwhile, their confused teenage daughter Jane (Thora Birch) starts seeing Ricky (Wes Bentley), the strange boy next-door who lives with his ex-military father, Col. Frank Fitts (Chris Cooper), and his absent-minded mother, Barbara (Alison Janney).
Director Sam Mendes, in his feature-film debut, took the world by storm with this absolutely hilarious and gut-wrenching look at a dysfunctional suburban family written by Alan Ball. The approach they use is that of a seriocomic tone that lends itself perfectly to what they’re trying to do: a blunt satire of the American way. But beneath its witty surface lays an undercurrent of truth that is not only blatantly honest, but that also aches because of it. The screenplay deals in equal measure with adultery, voyeurism, homosexuality, repression, alienation and death, and yet it’s completely engaging and thoughtful.
The ad with which the movie was promoted urged every one of us to “look closer”. After you’ve seen it you might find it scary to do just that, because it deals with the truths we usually don’t notice, or don’t want to, about ourselves. It’s the realization that there may be things about our lives with which we’re not happy, and that it’s better to start doing something about it sooner than later. As the story unfolds, these characters develop and transcend in unexpected ways, making it an unpredictable experience that ends on a highly shocking and ironic, yet reflective, note.
After all is said and done, the movie leaves you with one uplifting and clear idea about how beauty can be found even in the most unexpected of all places. I truly loved this and couldn’t agree more. It is also perfectly conveyed in my favorite scene, one which involves a plastic bag.
It is difficult to find character-driven movies that also boast a very distinct visual style, but Mendes and legendary cinematographer Conrad Hall worked carefully to give it one which would rightly serve the tone and what they were trying to achieve with each scene. The result is nothing short of brilliant, and I use that word with all its implications. Together they created imagery that has stayed in the collective minds of people since the movie came out. Thomas Newman’s off-beat and innovative score was also crucial in helping to set the right mood and it paid off.
If all of this wasn’t enough, I also see American Beauty as one of the best-acted ensemble pieces of all time. Kevin Spacey handles his character with the right touch of likeability matched by his loser-status gone berserk, so that he becomes identifiable. His voice-over narration is spot-on. Annette Bening is totally unforgettable in her over-the-top, amazing rendering of such an extreme character. Wes Bentley gives a remarkable supporting performance, making his character one of the coolest nerds in the history of cinema. Thora Birch, Mena Suvari and Chris Cooper are also excellent. Everyone is.
This is the rare kind of movie that comes just once in a while. One of my favorites and an instant classic.
“Sometimes there’s so much beauty in the world... I feel like I can’t take it.”
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Other reviews of American Beauty (1999): Groucho
Comments
Morris wrote at 6/22/2002:
It's really funny, because I also decided to revisit this classic movie a few days ago. It was as exhilarating an experience as the first time I saw it. Your thoughts Jacinda, are really interesting. I also agree on the fact that the movie kind of sends an alert message about what we're doing with our lives and the things that really matter.
It's just a masterpiece!
Coffee wrote at 6/22/2002:
...a masterpiece with a fAnTaStIc ScOrE, I must add!(although I'm probably not the only person to mention that)
Morris wrote at 6/22/2002:
I might start a little controversy here, but I've got to tell you about the first time I saw "American Beauty" and instantly fell in love with the wonderful and perfectly-fit score composed by Thomas Newman. I hadn't heard something like that in a while and it simply blew me away. I wanted to hear more Newman! But then there came "The Green Mile", "Pay It Forward" and "Erin Brokovich", which were big disappointments concerning the music in them. Newman just kind of rehashed what I had heard before in "Beauty" and even though one could argue that he has a style of his own, I thought it was unoriginal and lame to hear that kind of music in movies that didn't need that kind of score. "Brokovich" worked ok, but "The Green Mile" just screamed for a different score, a more armonic and sentimental one. Anyway, I hope Newman does some better jobs in the future. Groucho wrote at 6/22/2002:
I completely agree with Morris in all aspects of American Beauty.Sadly, I also agree with him concerning composer Newman...
Jacinda wrote at 6/22/2002:
I noticed the resemblance of Newman's score in 'Pay it forward'. It was really odd to hear something that sounded similar to the fantastic 'American Beauty' score in a dull movie like that. I wondered if I was wrongly accusing him of copying his own work. I thought that it was probably just his musical style. I'm glad you have a similar opinion though. Now I feel I was right about it. ;) Coffee wrote at 6/22/2002:
No controvercy for me there, either (sorry..hehe).It seems like Newman just liked the theme of American Beauty as much as we did and wanted to play around with it a little more. The resemblence to the other mentioned pictures' scores is impossible to overlook. Let's hope that he'll do something a tad more original next time...
Morris wrote at 6/22/2002:
You've heard us Newman! Wake up! Coffee wrote at 6/22/2002:
Hehehe... like he'll ever read this!! Thomas Newman wrote at 6/22/2002:
Sorry guys. I'll really try to be a bit more inventive next time.- Thomas
Groucho wrote at 6/22/2002:
Wow, man! We're important, aren't we?? LOL Morris wrote at 6/22/2002:
Right Thomas! You BETTER!New comments are temporarily disabled
Jacinda wrote at 6/22/2002:
In contrast to Morris I don't watch a movie twice the same year. Even if I love the movie - and I definitely love 'American Beauty'. Instead I like to rediscover the movie after a while. I recently bought the DVD edition and watched 'American Beauty' again last night.I simply admire the way all these characters blend together in the movie. I don't think I have to mention it but I feel like I must write it down. Spacey is amazing! I've hardly seen a character as compelling as Lester Burnam.
For me, the movie is about the way we adjust to society up to a point of self-denial. It's always about having material things, about your job, your house, your car. It actually turns out to be hard to find different values to define your life when you are used to be part of a society like this. You could find it in other people but due to a lack of communication it's even hard to connect to your own family. I hope I don't wake up in 20 years to discover that I've dedicated my life to something that doesn't mean a thing after all.
Beauty lies in the simple things instead - like that plastic bag. I love that scene!