A masterpiece. A shocking look at personal collapse.

Rating: 7/10 (22 November 2000)

I can not compare this movie to anything I have ever seen before. Well written and superbly directed. The acting was so good it made limit pushing activities look some what normal. Kevin Spacey is fantastic as the man trapped in a miserable life. Annette Bening is so real as the work obsessed wife with no time for her husband. Thora Birch is pedestrian as the daughter lacking self confidence. Talk about a show stopper; Mena Suvari plays the flirtatious tart with zest. She can make any man go to the garage and start pumping iron.
A man making haphazard choices in trying to recover his life is not so much out of the norm. True this is a sad look at a family that is set on self destruction. Sometimes it takes witnessing the likes of this to help you realize that your own problems are very small in comparison. Fantasy situations are part of real life. This movie will rank among the great ones.
Also in the cast are: Wes Bentley, Peter Gallagher and Scott Bakula.