"American Beauty"

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Peter Gallagher,
Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari

2 hours, 2 minutes
Rated R
Dream Works Home Entertainment

[MAY 19, 2000]  I was warned, and now I’m warning you. "American Beauty" is not about beautiful beauty. It’s not about love. It’s not about success, or happiness, or anything to be cherished or appreciated. But it might be about America.

I believe that "American Beauty" is supposed to be a comedy. There are a few times when I chuckled during this film. But reflecting back, if there hadn’t been those moments of dark humor, those few moments of quirky release, this film would have crumbled into the deep morass which it is pointing toward, and attempted to take me with it.

 

 

It is the story of Lester (Kevin Spacey); his wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening); and their teenage daughter, Jane (Thora Birch); who are not just unhappy, they're desperately unhappy. Lester’s marriage is failing, his daughter is estranged, his job has lost every sense of worth and dignity, and nothing remains of the hopes and aspirations he had planned on. One day, in a mid-life-crisis fashion, Lester seems to wake up, realize how miserable he is, and with the help of the new neighbor boy (Wes Bentley), sets out on a course to change his own life. His movement to assert new meaning sets up a chain reaction, and everyone’s life is affected (though not necessarily for the better).

 

 

"American Beauty" is a story about the denigration and decay of the most basic American unit, the family. This movie does not seem to remark on how everything got to be so rotten. It merely presents it in its damaged and failing form, and seems to be making a statement about where it going from here, at least in the short run.

 

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This plot is so devastatingly negative, the language in this film and the ideas it presents are so demeaning and so unattractive that I walked out on this movie once (I realized that I needed to review this film and so forced myself to return). There were so many scenes that were filled with unhealthy concepts (which we edited out with the remote). This movie is rough to watch! "American Beauty" has so much rough and sexual language that it will be impossible to completely remote-edit it out. This film is obsessed with reactionary, loveless sex. There is little actual nudity, but you cannot escape the basic plot element of unhealthy relationships.

I also realize why this movie was nominated for and received so many awards. The storytelling was perfect. The filming was gorgeous. The casting was concise. The soundtrack and the music were wonderful. And the acting was fantastic. Spacey’s portrayal of a darker-than-Willy Lowman character was sublime. Bening was the very essence of the lost, neurotic woman. Bentley made a believer of me in his portrayal of the kid who reacted to a meaningless existence, creating meaning and finding beauty amidst darkness, depravity and abuse.

 

 

I cannot pretend that I am happy that I watched this film. I was not entertained. There wasn’t a single image or thought that I came away with that improved my perspective, raised my sights, or helped me be positive or hopeful. In fact, I came away from "American Beauty" having an emotional pall cast across my own relationships, my own work, and my own emotional images of friends and family that will take some time to recover from. It is wise to choose carefully what you will expose and subject yourself to. As "American Beauty" portrays, such decisions may have a lasting impact. I give it 3½ stars out of 5.

 

[midge]

 

I’m back from vacation and raring to hear from you. Send me email about your favorite movies at midge@lincolndailynews.com.

 

 

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