A love song for the suburban,self-perceived loser

Rating: 9/10 (29 December 2008)

I struggled hard to write a summary line as well as a criticism of this show. I first saw this in the theaters in the fall of 1999,and would see it again some years later. The effect of this movie has haunted me ever since. I want to avoid using broad,philosophical,high-falluting language on this because 1)it sounds insincere 2)I don't think that I can truly say,from both an intellectual and/or emotional standpoint,can make those kinds of assessment of this movie and 3)there are LOTS of reviews/comments who already have. What I will say is that a show like this,replete with sly observation,world-weary,stripped-down approach and even gallows humor,would ALREADY be memorable with simply competent,unremarkable acting. So when Kevin Spacey,Annette Bening,Thora Birch,Chris Cooper,Wes Bentley,Peter Gallagher and Allison JAnney(among others)inhabit these characters,this show LEAPS over expectation.
I realize the phrase "not everyone's cup of tea" is overused to the point of being trite,but it really applies here,because I'm familiar with the fact that not everyone warmed up to the story of Lester Burnham(Spacey,well-worthy of his second Oscar and whatever awards he garnered),a forty-something married father of one who reaches an epiphany over his overly-routine,seemingly meaningless life in the suburbs. HIs wife Carolyn(Bening,only luckless enough to be stuck with HIlary Swank in Best Actress category),once a lovely,sexy bride has grown into an angry,uptight real estate agent who has become obsessed with climbing social ladders(mostly real estate related)and views her husband as a nothing much more than a deflated loser. His daughter JAne(BIrch,shedding much of the clean,cute "kid"image she's developed to that point)has come to resent her sad-sack dad and is allured by the new kid next door,a dark,edgy boy(Wes Bentley,TOO good here)who quietly observes his family's behavior and sells pot...to JAne's dad among others. As this happens,Lester becomes infatuate with JAne's cheerleader peer/friend Angela(Mena Suvari,sweet,if maybe not entirely convincing),and his obsession with her,while it brightens his dull life,threatens to unravel the stability that has been carrying him and his family.
Sam Mendes directorial debut,and Alan Ball's script are at once,devastating,funny,insightful,cruel,sad,unfair and even optimistic(slightly). I'd go into why this film doesn't settle well with everyone,but I think from the basic summary or synapses one would be sufficiently clued in to why. Suffice it to say,I was intrigued,and I was satisfied,though I will say that the acting was to me more overall impressive than the movie's framework,which IS high quality,but personally hit a discordant note or two(and that's mostly an emotional criticism than a content one from me). That said,any interested parties should do,as the movie's tag-line beckons,to "look closer" at this offering.