1999's best film and one of the century's best...

Rating: Null/10 (5 October 1999)

"American Beauty" is one of the finest films ever made. It is masterful in plot, story, character structure and development, dialogue, set-up and payoff. The performances are the pinnacles of everyone's careers. Hopefully, this will be next year's Oscar gem.
Kevin Spacey deserves his second Oscar for his performance as Lester Burnham. Spacey is an actor who lets his character's through-line carry him through the story and it works beautifully. Spacey is one of the greatest actors of our generation and shows how he can preserve a role and let it develop the actor.
Annette Bening is at the top of her form as Carolyn Burnham. This is among her best work, including "The American President" and "The Grifters." She carries her own weight against powerful Spacey and they play their scenes well with the perfect amount of cynicism and malice.
I remember the first film I saw 17-year-old Thora Birch was "All I Want For Christmas" back in 1991 when she was 9 years old. She has done various supporting roles since in "Patriot Games," "Clear And Present Danger" and "Now And Then," to name a few. She has never made such an impression on me as she has as Jane Burnham. She has developed immensely as an actress and her maturity, mentally and physically, works well for here in this part. She seems to be one of those rare child actors, like Drew Barrymore, that's slowly making a transition from child-to-adult roles.
Newcomer Wes Bentley, 21, plays next-door neighbor Ricky Fitts, n one of the film's most difficult and challenging roles. Bentley makes a very sympathetic character, despite what he feels real beauty is (i.e., dead pigeon, plastic bag blowing in the wind). We, the audience, feel for him because of his heated relationship with his father, his deep appreciation for Thora Birch's character and his loneliness, which lurks within all of us. He has very nice chemistry with Thora Birch that's always interesting to watch; he's an intense star in the making and I hope to see more of him.
Mena Suvari, 20, makes an intriguing and provocative career move as Angela Hayes soon after recently playing "Choir Girl" in this summer's hilarious teen comedy, "American Pie." At first, it appears all her character must do throughout is act bitchy and seductive, but her last scene in the film signifies how good she was. She plays a cheerleader, who tries to seduce Spacey to reassure herself that she's attractive and above ordinary. I'm sure many of us, including myself, have felt that way before.
Last, but not least, Chris Cooper rounds out this wonderful ensemble cast as the stern, militant father of Ricky who has a few hidden secrets of his own. I have known Chris Cooper to be a great supporting character actor and here is no exception. By the end, we understand the reasons for his actions, even though we, most certainly, don't agree with the resulting outcome.
Every main character in this film is rather over-the-top, but they were played with such skill, style and finesse that it makes them believable all the same. We sympathize with Lester because we sense his discomfort and rediscovery all the way to his inevitable downfall. I understand why this 42-year-old man will fall for a 17-year-old girl. Of course, there are many reasons why it's wrong, but Lester doesn't so much love her, but the idea of her. There are no real villains in `American Beauty' and there doesn't have to be. It's not impossible to see Lester using Angela as an outlet to become more spiritually aware.
This film has `psychology' written all over it. Screenwriter Alan Ball has done a masterful job with his dialogue, character development and his view of `contemporary' American life and its `mask.' These characters are definitely stuck in `The Matrix.' Director Sam Mendes has an extraordinary visual style that translates to the screen with beautiful, vibrant colors and set design. He, also, knows the irony and satirical tone each scene hints at and requires.
The film has elements of other recent pictures, such as `Happiness,' `The Ice Storm' and a little bit of `Office Space.' Those were three well-made films, yet `American Beauty' exceeds all three combined. `American Beauty' is an exceptional exercise of the right actors with the right script at the right time. It is the year's best film so far, passing `The Sixth Sense,' even though both films have very little in common. The film's closing credits appeared and numerous couples sat in silence, staring at the screen and taking in the experience. When I went into the theatre parking lot, I watched an empty styrofoam cup flailing about in the breeze. Right then, I understood what Ricky Fitts meant by beauty. One of the most beautiful things I have ever seen is `American Beauty.'