Dysfunction Junction

Rating: 10/10 (21 February 2000)

This is no ordinary "Leave it to Beaver" family. Lester
(Kevin Spacy) plays a middle age man whose life these days has the big "L" written on him. His wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) has work too much and has forgotten about her family. His daugther Jane (Thora Birch) lives in her own little world and wonders which planet her parents live on.Then one day two people changes Lester life, this is where things get wild. I did like the film. Kevin gives a good performance as Lester, whose life regenerates after he meets Jane's friend Angela (Mena Suvari). It is Angela who builds Lester's confidence to be a man again. Also the boy next door Ricky (Wes Bentley) builds Lester's ability to stand up for himself. These changes only goes for the worse. When I saw the film I said to myself Is this the way the American family has gotten to? The movies and TV portray the family as how the world sees it. This film is disturbing, but it is correct that the family is not as strong holding or moral as it has been. That parents and their children are not as close anymore. Marriage is an boring institution, work for success is what we should long for. American Beauty is good that it shows us the realism of todays American family sad but true. I was impress with Thora Birch who has grown up a bit and Mena Suvari whose goody goody sexual interest isn't what it cracked up to be. American Beauty should do good at the Oscars.