Takes normal life and turns it extreme

Rating: 9/10 (17 October 2007)

American Beauty follows the narration of Lester Burnham, a completely average middle-aged working man. When he sees his daughter's friend at a cheer-leading display, he becomes instantly attracted to her. His attitude toward life takes a wild turn that impacts the surrounding community, ultimately leading to a tragic conclusion.
While some of the individual segments of the plot are uninteresting, the good parts come together to make a compelling story. The snippets of Burnham and his new mentality are simply priceless; from the moment he quits his business job to the scenes revolving around his new job at McDonalds, it never fails to satisfy. It brings to light a more enjoyable and funny concept of the movie: the rejection of a "boring" life to ultimately have more satisfaction with oneself. Kevin Spacey excels as Burnham and deserves his Oscar win of best actor. Chris Cooper perfectly fits the character of Colonel Frank Fits. The rest of the cast is also convincing, although some of the teenagers could have been better played. The ending is brilliantly crafted and involves all the previous content that was introduced in the film.
The usage of colors (mostly red) and symbolism (mostly regarding roses) is wonderful. It helps develop some of the nuances in the themes. Plus it makes the whole visual experience much more effective. The movie touches on many themes are all relevant to everyday life. It takes situations and emotions that we can relate with, and plays them to the extreme.
It all comes together to make a visually and emotionally effective movie. It can be analyzed for the deep messages on intriguing themes or can be enjoyed at face value. American Beauty is by no means flawless, but it elaborates on themes and emotions in a way that few other movies can. Recommended for all viewers.