Pretentious and senseless

Rating: 1/10 (18 January 2001)

***Spoilers ahead**
When I first saw this movie I enjoyed it, right up until the last 5 minutes or so. Could this be any more cliche-ish (new word)? Oh the "repressed homosexual did it" who didn't see this coming? Thank goodness they didn't use the other ending where the drug dealin' kid gets arrested, that would have been even less plausible. The wife is coming home with a gun, motive - none. What, she wants to leave her husband so she kills him? Please. The neighbor boy kills him to take his daughter to NYC, motive - none. They can just walk out the door. Oh, but the marine finally realizes he's gay so he kills Spacey. Give me a break. I can see the studio execs now, sitting around a table convincing themselves this was a good movie, then sending out the cash to the Academy members to convince them. The movie would have been much better if A) the marine killed himself instead of, or after, killing Spacey. B) the marine has a breakdown resulting in no deaths. or C) I had stayed home and rented the Usual Suspects instead. What a waste of Kevin Spacey's ability.