great movie

Rating: Null/10 (12 February 2002)

An in-depth, shocking, clever and funny look at a dysfunctional suburban family. Spacey is terrific as the disillusioned patriarch who finally decides to try and quell his mid-life crisis; Bening is equally impressive as his frustrated wife who's abandoned everything in favor of her job; Birch is right on target and a standout as their insecure, alienated teenage daughter who forms a bond with her odd next door neighbor. At times unsettling, at times unusual, at times downright hilarious, but always on target with believable characters and situations, first-rate direction, and a sharp, original script. A praiseworthy film indeed. ***½