All the Subtlety of a Bull in a China Shop

Rating: 2/10 (27 February 2001)

What an amalgamation of social pornography! Many prurient social situations, absolutely no redeeming social content.
Spoiler Alert! (With an apology to the late great Claude Rains as Inspector Renault.) Although if you didn't see these coming you need remedial movie watching lessons.
I was shocked, shocked I tell you to find out that Col. Frank Fitts was a closet homosexual!
I was shocked, shocked I tell you to find that the only two good people are the drug dealer (Where were all his customers? Why didn't his suspicious father ever find out where he got all the money for all of his high end electronic equipment?) and the teenage angst ridden girl who absolutely abhorred her parents.
I was shocked, shocked I tell you to find out that the Burnham's hadn't had sex for years!
I was shocked, shocked I tell you to see Ms. Burnham have an affair with Buddy Kane. I was even more shocked when Mr. Burnham discovered them together!
I was shocked, shocked I tell you to find out that the General manager of Mr. Burnham's magazine was a man given to stealing from the company and using the money for illicit sexual dalliances.
I was shocked, shocked I tell you when the Lolita like Ms Hayes sexual persona was revealed to be all bluster when she admitted to being a virgin when Mr Burnham was finally able to bed her.
I was shocked, shocked I tell you to find the only healthy monogamous relationship in the whole movie was between the Burnhams' homosexual neighbors.
I was really shocked to find that Mrs Burnhams handgun wasn't the one that finally killed Mr Burnham.
I wasn't shocked however to find that this would be a Best Picture. After all, anything that rips the cover from the sordid surburban anomie American lifestyle is always a favorite with the Academy. (Now there's a case for population control, Mrs. Baldwin).
Nice production values, nice touch tieing it all together with the rose petal bit, but just way too over the top.