Grossly over-rated

Rating: 1/10 (4 June 2000)

So much started out right for "American Beauty" but the ending destroys what should be an emotional wallop. Kevin Spacey breaks down, then rebuilds himself into a fascinating mensch. Annette Bening is more than just over-driven -- she has her own issues to contend with. Together, the climax, where these two should confront their very different lives, should be amazing film-making. Instead, the movie veers off into a "homophobia is bad" message picture. It turns out to be a simplistic theme for such a richly textured flick. I was greatly disappointed.