If only...

Rating: Null/10 (21 February 2000)

If only more American movies would be of the type of 'American Beauty'. I am beginning to spot a trend of more and more American (widely published) movies becoming less and less commercial. Recent examples are Doug Liman's 'Go' (1999) and John McNaughton's 'Wild Things' (1998; although I was annoyed by all the sudden plot-changes that for me appeared to be too much focused on surprising the viewer), But all in all it's a good development.
As a European one of the main reasons I can come up with why 'American Beauty' was such a huge hit in America is the fact many Americans recognize themselves in it. The perfect America family, as they want to be, is pure fictious. One can wonder if this makes 'American Beauty' a good movie, because adding some real American elements in the movie might lead to world-wide, but especially American appreciation.
But I must admit that Mendes did a pretty good job both making fun of and developing sympathy of America and the American dream (still one of the biggest fictions ever). But maybe it was Mendes' British background that makes the movie worth the appreciation.
Kevin Spacey is marvelous and so is Annette Bening and Thora Birch absolutely is a talent as the ever-complaining, never-satisfied rebellent teenage-daughter that is annoyed by her father's hormones that still haven't laid to rest. And Mena Suvari as Birch's friend Angela is the perfect all-American Barbie-doll.
I loved some of the symbolism in the movie like the rose-petals (which reminded me a bit of the slowmotion effects in Bronwen Hughes' 'Forces of Nature' (1999)), although the talk about plastic bag was too much forced intellectual gibberish.
I guess (and I am writing that before the Golden Globes have been given away) that American Beauty will definately receive some Oscars and what I hope even more is that the trend of making un-American American movies will be continued, without really becoming a true trend.