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Rating: Null/10 (7 October 2003)

American Beauty (1999) Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Wes Bentley, Thora Birch, Mena Suvari, Peter Gallagher, Allison Janney, Chris Cooper. Original, satiric punch about a man (Spacey) living in swanky suburbia-who's not respected by the people around him including his family-with the fear of growing older; his wife Bening is a real estate agent who breaks down when she loses a sale, and teenage daughter Birch is a perturbed soul. But Spacey's life changes when he lands his eyes on his daughter's 16-year-old cheerleading friend, whom he fantasizes about and makes him want to forget about his pathetic life to explore his manly hood. A bittersweet, transcending, and earnest look at the American Dream, though to others, it may seem like a high-class soap opera. Oscar winner of three including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director (Sam Mendes). Running Time: 122 minutes and rated R for sexual content, nudity, language, violence, and drug content. ***