American Beauty is a powerful masterpiece, resplendent even in its' darkest moments.

Rating: 10/10 (8 December 2001)

This is far and away the best movie I ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

Perhaps there were tiny flaws I missed, but I was too mesmerized to notice any beyond the slight shakiness of the camera panning over the neighborhood near the beginning.
It is a lost cause to try and label this masterpiece as hailing from any particular genre. It has comedy, drama, drugs, hate, love, sex, violence and a powerfully positive sense of overall purpose. It combines a plethora of interesting story-lines that by themselves have dominated countless lesser productions.
Beyond the key fact that is revealed almost immediately, the story is completely unpredictable- the plot twists will steer your suspicions awry until the very end.
The acting was perfect. Every character was played convincingly in a realistic style. I had great respect for Kevin Spacey's ability before seeing this picture. Now my admiration for his talent has risen to a new level. He assumed the role of a lifetime and shined as bright as a star can.
My only regret is that I fear I might never see anything better. I feel as though I've climbed the highest mountain of cinema and anything else will pale in comparison. Yet, I will never regret having watched it and I hope to view it many more times.
The message this rose of a film so effectively delivers is that what is truly beautiful about life becomes obscured as we become consumed by all of the negative, as we endeavor fruitlessly for security and a firm grasp on our destinies. Instead, it suggests we should cherish the joyful experiences of our pasts, look above the pain of all the thorns and take the time to appreciate what is gorgeous about the here and now.
It is a given that not everyone will be as floored as I was. Some will inevitably find much of the subject matter offensive. Those of the opinion that film noir reigns supreme are sure to have issues with my assessment as well. Still, unless you are completely repulsed by some of the content you will be extremely hard pressed not to appreciate this movie by the time the closing credits roll.
In closing I should add that in my own life I have been anything but the positive, hopeful sort to take this movie's message to heart. If someone else had posted these comments and I read them before seeing American Beauty, I would have laughed my ass off at them and wondered what illicit substances they were under the influence of. I even did scoff at some like-minded opinions beforehand. All I can say now is, "Boy, was I ever wrong"!