The end kills what could have been a great movie.

Rating: 4/10 (29 February 2000)

The end speech kills the film. The acting is great, but I suspect the script was looking for an ending that would have done justice to some great ideas to explore in a movie. Eyes Wide Shut was more 'personal', with the focus on the characters' emotions rather than on situations. American Beauty feels too much like a sitcom to be taken seriously.