Finally

Rating: 1/10 (27 September 1999)

I was greatly troubled this past week when thinking back over the movies so far this year. I knew none of my favorite films would get any kind of quality Academy recognition, like Director, Picture, or any of the acting categories. My four favorite films, The Matrix, Go, South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut, and The Sixth Sense, are sure to be virtually shunned of Oscars except for the possible script nomination for either Go or Sixth Sense, and the virtual lock on special effects for The Matrix. No one can really explain why these films won't get awards and nominations, except "they're not typical Academy material." What is Academy material? American actors speaking in awful British accents while wearing overly exotic clothing. Maybe the Academy SHOULD make these types of films "typical Academy material", because judging by the fact that all four are on IMDb top 250, the general population feels this way as well. My fifth nominee, which will most likely be Dogma (based on the script), will almost invariably be dismissed from award consideration. I figured the Academy would give the movie to some god-awful and pointless art film that no one liked anyway, and everyone would be disappointed, like last year. Then came American Beauty. This film....is spectacular. There is nothing to compare it to. A black comedy that succeeds where Happiness and The Ice Storm failed, American Beauty is a tremendous film that may be enough of an Academy film to snag an Oscar, or two or three, or even, say, half a dozen. It doesn't have any snazzy costumes or whizzing bullets or superb cinematography, but it does have a solid script. It does have excellent directing. It does have the performance of a lifetime from Spacey. I think I'd be satisfied, though, if this took away only Best Picture. That's really all it needs, because that's the whole point of American Beauty. It's not an epic, or heart-wrenching drama, it's a film that asks you to.....look closer.