Beauty is truth, Truth beauty (possible SPOILER?)

Rating: 10/10 (13 January 2001)

A line from Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn" has stuck with me over the years: "Beauty is truth, Truth beauty." I think that could have been the tagline for this movie. Many people have seen this movie and not understood what it was all about, but if you pardon my immodesty, I think I kinda got the message. The movie begins by introducing us to some characters who are all unhappy for one reason or another. However, when one of them (Kevin Spacey, who deserved every award he got for this performance) begins being true to himself by 1) admitting that he is unhappy and 2) taking steps to change his situation, he is finally happy. Then, throughout the course of the movie we learn how everyone else is being false to him or herself, and when they acknowledge their unhappiness they can finally take steps to change. The only character who is happy through the entire movie is Ricky, whose eyes have been open to beauty and happiness much longer than everyone else's. Once you mull over this movie carefully, you realize that it is a spectacular commentary on today's society; we see a lot of people who should, according to society, be happy (they have family, success, etc.) but they are not because they aren't being true to themselves. It is up to everyone to find his or her own happiness.