This film is an ’’adult’’ film to be appreciated by people who are in touch with themselves -thinking people who sometimes stop & evaluate their pathetic and dull existence on this planet.
The PLOT-
We view a normal house in a normal neighborhood in an average suburban city(Its not just about american life, it can be any country any place I felt). The story begins with a voice over from Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) telling us within a year, he’s gonna be dead. However, Lester feels as being dead already. Stuck in the monotony of a boring job that doesn’t really need him and a family that doesn’t respect him, Lester proceeds through life without any direction. As he complains, ’’I feel I’ve lost something. I’ve never felt this... sedated.’’
His wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) is a real estate agent, whos driven by the materialistic needs of life like all of us. She has lost something too, but she doesn’t realize it. For her, material possessions are what make a person successful. Their daughter Jane (Thora Birch) is angry at her family like all teenagers, and also displeased about her appearance. Her best friend, Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari, in a breakthrough performance), flaunts her sexuality and believes that being ordinary is the worst fate for a human being. Angela herself is the catalyst for everything. She catches Lester’s eye sparking something in him. He becomes obsessed with her. She plays along, taunting him with her sexuality. The rest of the film deals with Lester’s reawakening and its effects on his family. Meanwhile, Jane is becoming intrigued by the boy next door, Ricky(Wes Bentley). Ricky works as a drug dealer but hides it from his dominating ex-military father. He’s obsessed with beauty, taking a video camera everywhere just so he can capture everything that is beautiful on film. These are two messed up families colliding with each other.
The cast was perfect, especially Spacey and the friend of his daughter (And yes, I wanted to nail her also!. Kevin Spacey, as Lester, creates one of the most sympathetic and sadly pathetic characters in recent memory. His performance is truly key to the film’s ultimate success.
The cinematography by Conrad Hall is absolutely gorgeous, capturing images that’s both subtle and eye-popping. One shot in particular (that of the Burnham’s door in the distance surrounded by rain) is brilliantly executed.And the score perfectly compliments the camerawork. I have seen this movie almost 10 times & believe me each time I have found something new in it which I missed before.
American Beauty was certainly deserving of its Oscars, which is very rare ’coz oscar has become the mecca of commmercial hollywood crap(TITANIC winning 11 oscars was the disaster of last century).
Very rarely we see a purely commercial movie from hollywood which is thought provoking at the same time. Sam mendez must be the best thing to have happened to hollywood since Quentin Tarintino.It was one of the most creative movies ever made .
American Beauty is one of the most beautiful films I have ever had the pleasure of seeing, directed by newcomer Sam Mendes with a surehandedness that even the most experienced directors in Hollywood will be unable to match. There is not a single moment in the film that rings untrue. Even the plot involving Lester and Angela is done with a level of maturity that it isn’t disgusting but rather beautiful.
This is a film for U if you’ve ever questioned life’s meaning in general.