"I seem to have got the wrong idea"

Rating: 9/10 (19 November 1999)

American Beauty is a very very good movie. One of my favourite sayings is that 'perception is reality'. This basically means that most of the problems that people have are really just caused by the way they see the world. For me, this movie is full of people who have a variety of problems because of their distorted views of the world and the people around them. I found this to be summed by Colonel Fits when he says to Lester "I seem to have got the wrong idea". Too right, but he is not the only one.
A good central theme does not alone make a great movie. American Beauty also features stunning performances from Spacey and Bening, supported by a superb cast playing a host of larger than life suburban weirdos. The cinematography is also fabulous as you'd expect from Conrad Hall.
My only gripe - why did the films' title have to feature the word 'American'?
Well done Sam Mendes. I give it 87/100