Makes Coronation Street (U.K.) look like Sesame Street

Rating: 8/10 (27 May 2019)

Late 1990s film about an upper middle class U.S. street that makes Coronation Street look like Sesame Street with its secrets and frustrations!
You also have an Oscar winning Best Actor performance from controversial Kevin Spacey but let's consider the film itself.
Spacey plays 42 year old Lester Burnham. He seems to be suffering from a mid-life crisis on that he is in a loveless marriage to Carolyn (Annette Bening), with one child who is at the puberty age, Jane (Thora Birch). Carolyn herself is an estate agent. Not a particularly successful one at that who faces 'competition' in the business from Buddy Kane (Peter Gallacher?).
Lester has some going through the motions job in media. It contributes to the mortgage repayments kind of thing. Anyway his company is trying to make workforce cutbacks and he has to try and justify his employment.
To the right of his house are a gay couple both called Jim. To the left is an ex-U.S. Marine Colonel Fitts (Chris Cooper) with a 'secret' that is revealed in the film who has a controlling nature over his son, Ricky Fitts.
Ricky is a dope dealer in his spare time (as you do) as well as having a strange/deranged habit of filming Jane through the windows, sometimes in private situations.
Jane has a 'best' friend. A blonde, model-aspiring, good looking school friend of a character called Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari).
That just about provides the ambience of the neighbourhood! The film shows 42 year old Lester (scary) develop a crush on Angela. Going on a keep-fit regime and developing a dope habit in the process. Also developing a new found confidence by telling his employers a few home truths hence losing his job, buying an old car and 'bashing the bishop' in bed next to his wife!
Director Sam Mendes is probably more well known to audiences for his James Bond film collaborations Skyfall and Spectre but this his perhaps his career peak film.
Watching the strange interaction between the characters develop and their messed up lives. The film develops into a shocking ending which I won't spoil but it is not what you expect!
Spacey rightly or wrongly won the Oscar and at this time is probably his best performance aside The Usual Suspects from 1995. If you have not seen this film, I strongly recommend.