Zen and the art of Suburban American Angst

Rating: 10/10 (28 January 2003)

This movie was very much of a growing up movie for me. When I first saw American Beauty, it seemed very much like yet another tired, banal american, "The dream has gone wrong" kinda movie, with boobie scenes. I was 16 then, so I was very interested in Miras boobs. But that was kinda the highlight of it for me the first time.
I then rewatched it when I was 18 and have rewatched it many times since then. I am entirely in love now with the concept of the movie. One of the hall marks of a really great movie is that you always find new things in the movie as you grow older that you can really relate to.

In american beauty, I can relate to everyone of the characters. I can identify with them, and their personal rebellions. I want to escape ordinariness and the dull monotony it brings with it. So I like Mira and Thoras reactions to their circumstances. I like the drug dealer boy more, because he dares to do what I desperately want to do. I dream of being Kevin Spacey and changing my world around. I hope desperately that something will rescue me from my drudgery, just as he is saved by his mid life crisis. And thats why we all went to watch the movie. Movies only sell dreams and fantasies. And it is our fantasy to live lives like any of the priviledged characters in american beauty.

I love the poetic plastic bag fluttering in the breeze, (kinda reminded me of the feather in forrest gump)..The cinematography had a strange slow poetry to it.
The movie is primarily about angst, in all its forms. Annete bennings failure angst, the girls ordinariness angst, kevin spaceys "dont know what i want" angst, and the drugdealerboys "Im fooling myself into believing I am strong enough to deal with this" angst, and the military guys "Ive lost faith in the things i believed in angst"
When Kevin Spacey dies,i dont feel sad, I just understand, and I think I am finally at zen with my angst.
The movie is also about defining purposes. american beauty asks the questions that have been asked a million times before, only it asks subtlely. It seeks answers to American life. It challenges the hippocracy of the "We are happy because we are supposed to be" syndrome.

Some people say its formulaic. because, yes, the subject matter has been dealt with before. And yes, the plot isnt credible.(this defnly couldnt happen to you)and yes, spacey has degraged his own performance in the movie, by sticking to the same kinda role and same kinda character acting in later movies.
it still moves me. Its the small things that get me. things like "sometimes i feel there is too much beauty in the world" and scenes like the plastic bag.
Also : The music is sensational. without the music, the movie would be half of what it is. But the music is appropriate and plays with your emotions like it was your ex girl friend.
Some say its a guy flick, and it is..as much as "apocalypse now" and "seven samurai" etc, though less of an epic. Guys would defnly relate to it more, since the women in the movie are underplayed. And annete defnly isnt a member of the stereotype in this movie. theres no susan sarandon or oprah winfrey here for the women to relate to. (i think thats a good thing..the world has too many chick flicks)
This movie somehow falls short of being an epic, all time greats movie, mainly because of its cliched roots and subject matter..(something like jerry maguire..the movies great..but the subject is just soo done) and no matter how different or good it is..it doesnt escape its own ordinariness, much like the movies characters.
Definitely a nine out of ten. I would give 9.5 if i could. Its really sad that spacey hasnt produced anything better since this movie.