Great Soundtrack by Thomas Newman

Rating: 5/10 (30 June 2000)

Here, we have a typical case of the music dominating the actual story line. Thomas Newman is a wonderful composer. Anyone who has seen Shawshank Redemption will recognize the haunting and beautiful sounds interwoven throughout the fabric of American Beauty. At times Newman's music is really the only thing holding this film together. Musically another strong moment is Lester running out of his house while The Who's "The Seeker" blares. I love The Who, and any movie containing a rarely played Who powerhouse tune has to get some kudos. Other than that the movie is mediocre. It's okay as a comedy of sorts, but there's not a whole lot going on here. The big message is be thankful for every moment of your life. Okay, thanks, got it. Best film of the year? I don't think so. Best Actor? Sorry Kevin. Actually I think the kid from Sixth Sense should have won best actor. He really did have a leading role, but they never nominate a kid lead for best actor. Remember Christian Bale in Empire of the Sun? Didn't get nominated for a thing, and he was absolutely brilliant. But I digress. American Beauty will not go down in history as one of the greatest movies ever. I doubt it will be remembered as anything special five years from now. In short, mediocre. Good music, though.