Some Spoilers - Dark, Beautiful, Humorous, Sad, Unforgettable

Rating: Null/10 (25 September 1999)

Sam Mendes was able, in this fine, dark film, to take a tired old theme - suburbia angst - and turn it into something entirely new.
In addition to the acting - which was so on target on everyone's part - Mendes' direction, the writing, the look, the colors, the sound track, the camera angles, all were superb.
Kevin Spacey's Lester, however, centered the film, and gave it, in my opinion, the wry life it so needed. Everyone else was so off kilter, so nuts, except maybe for the cheerleader queen, that we needed Lester's comments out of Spacey's twisting mouth, looking at Spacey's expressive eyes, to find the humor in a decent man trapped (most of it his own fault) in a desperate situation.
Annette Bening, who had a role full of hysteria, handled it so well, that you felt very sorry for her most of the time.
I was impressed with Chris Cooper in a very different part for him, and Allison Janney, who played his wife, could break your heart.
There were scenes of beauty, and one, in driving rain, full of tension, danger and poignancy.
All three kids were good too, but it is Spacey's film, and boy, does he run away with it.
I'd say go see it, but don't expect to feel good when you leave.
Murph