Look upon the stillness of suburbia and focus upon a troubled family.

Rating: Null/10 (25 September 1999)

American Beauty By Dean Kish
Look upon the stillness of suburbia and focus upon a troubled family. One awakened to the breath of life and the others brought down by the ambiguity of life. `American Beauty' chronicles these surreal questions as we watch a family unwind. Kevin Spacey plays Lester Burnham who is sick of his wife, plagued by his job and wondering where his youth evaporated to. Lester's quest to unravel these problems and find a better path pits him head to head against his family. `American Beauty' is a movie that allows us to explore a little about ourselves and even more about the paths we take in life. The always bickering, frustrated Burnhams remind us that once in a while our lives just don't fit with the way we perceive things. The surreal boy next door who videotapes life has the ability to step back and look at just exactly how beautiful the world around us is. But I think the real revelation is we all have to ask life's question so we can relax and enjoy the journey we are on. As the movie unfolds and Lester's eyes open more and more we begin to see bright scenes of crimson red which detail his awakening. The magical tenderness of the rose petals detail Lester's obsession for youth but also show a sweet innocent tenderness in the object of his obsession. Is this tortured teen the nymph she has been bragging about or does she to need to be awakened? This movie asks a lot of questions and erupts with an ending shocker. I have to take my hat off to another first-time director in Mendes who has given us a movie we will be looking back on for years to come. (4.5 of 5) So Says the Soothsayer