A nasty film, and unoriginal, but with enjoyable acting

Rating: 4/10 (9 June 2000)

American Beauty is not a good film. Its premise, that American suburban life is stifling of aliveness, is very unoriginal. And that kids sometimes have to find another way than their parents' lives. But in this film, one good way is to sell drugs and lie to your parents. There's also a good deal of fake profundity in the film. The boy finding a dead pigeon beautiful, and all he has to say about the plastic bag being blown around. Not from the heart. Some good characters, some good caricatures, some enjoyable scenes, some very funny ones. But not a serious movie.