Just the sum of its parts.

Rating: 7/10 (17 July 2000)

American beauty-- a good film, yet perhaps not quite so deserving of deluge the critical acclaim it received.
Much of it was directed at the "originality" of its subject matter, that of a suburban dystopia. However, this theme is not quite as original or "ground-breaking" as it would seem. Films like The Ice Storm, or Blue Velvet also tackle this issue.
American beauty also won an award for cinematography, which while wonderful, can hardly be 'excellent', as it lacks a sense of originality, something seen in other films of the year, such as John Malkovitch, or Sixth Sense.
What american beauty has going for it is the combination of its parts. A well-done script, good acting, especially by Kevin Spacey and Annette Benning, and good cinematography. On those counts, it's a definite "recommend".
7/10