One of the most overrated movies of all time

Rating: 7/10 (15 April 2002)

I think this movie tries to be more ambitious than it actually is. "Look closer?" That's supposed to be the tagline. Okay, well then what does the movie do to actually look closer. It sets about portraying every cliche that's ever been done in movies before, and it can't even make the movie happy. Or am I the one who is missing something. It's not supposed to be happy because it's supposed to be like real life. Well if this movie is anything like real life than I don't know what country I've been living in for the last eighteen years.
The father realizes he hates his job and that it is getting him no where, so he quits and works at a fast food restaurant? The mother can't sell a house, so she sleeps with the guy who can--that's never been done before. The daughter is recluse and attracted to the boy who is even more recluse--again, I can't think of movies like that. The neighbor is homophobic and turns out to be homosexual--my God, what a coincidence!
If there's anything this movie had to say about the American family it is that we've seen this family hundreds of times before. Read a book, like Lie Down in Darkness. It's essentially the same story but much more realistic.
The best movie of 1999 was The Insider, far and away, no competition. There is no question as to which one is more important and relevant between the two.