The whole damn country's going to hell.

Rating: 10/10 (18 September 2001)

Truly inspirational, a classic masterpiece, and other such clichés don't do this film the justice it deserves  but it doesn't matter, we all know just how amazing it is, anyway. Blar blar blar, great screenplay; blar blar blar, great directing; blar blar blar, some of the best performances you may ever see from a vastly talented cast (Bening is exceptionally exceptional).
But, OK, let's pretend you don't know how great the film is; let's pretend you haven't yet familiarised yourself with the inspirational cinematic experience that is American Beauty  here's how the story goes:
One average American man realises that his life stinks. Well, he's known it for a while, but in the past he's always accepted it. After smoking dope and excessively masturbating over his daughter's school-friend he rediscovers the joys of hacking people off, flipping burgers and hacking more people off. Meanwhile, his neurotic estate agent wife is also unhappy and decides to vent her displeasure by screwing a rival estate agent. All of which could psychologically scar the daughter  oh too late, she's about to run of with her drug-dealing boyfriend who's been kicked out of his home by his homophobic nazi dad. It's all going to end in tears.
Bang.
10/10