Lives up to its title, Beautiful!

Rating: 9/10 (28 July 2014)

American Beauty is a story of a husband and father Lester Burnham, played by actor Kevin Spacey, who is dealing with issues of mediocrity, identity crisis and finding his true self, the real Lester. Lester's wife Carolyn Burnham, played by actress Annette Bening, doesn't respect him, and his daughter Jane Burnham, played by actress Thora Birch, thinks her father is nobody.
Lester begins falling and lusting over his daughter's friend Angela Hayes, played by actress Mena Suvari, after seeing her perform at a high school basketball game. Angela begins to flirt with Lester which only escalates the feelings he has for her. So now Lester is ready to make himself more appealing to Angela.
Lester then begins to get to the point where he is fed up with his mundane, ordinary life. He begins working out to try and make himself more appealing to Angela. He also begins smoking marijuana that he purchases from his new next door neighbor and classmate of his daughter, Ricky Fits, played by actor Wes Bentley, who is also attracted to Lester's daughter Jane. Ricky's father Colonel Fits, played by actor Chris Cooper, who has a prejudice against homosexual lifestyles, begins to suspect that his son and next door neighbor Lester, is having a homosexual relationship.
Then the story line gets deeper. Lester's wife, Carolyn who doesn't really respect Lester, then starts an affair with her business rival in the real estate business, Buddy Kane, played by actor Peter Gallagher. Lester was just about to get laid off, but instead he takes advantage of the efficiency expert, Brad Dupree, played by actor, Barry Del Sherman, and blackmails him for $60,000. After quitting his job, Lester takes a job at a fast food restaurant, and trades in his nice safe" average Joe" car, for a Pontiac Firebird.
This film tells a story from Lester's' point of view, but also does a spectacular job, of bringing out the character qualities and weaknesses in each character. This film intertwines the story of all the main characters, into a great overall story and a theme that we all can relate to, or maybe even have questioned ourselves at one point in time. Are you happy with your life? Do you feel like nobody? Do you wish you could get back to the younger you and lifestyle? If you had the chance to, would you go back to your teenage years, or at least live like it? This film brings all of these questions into perspective, and does it in a way that would make you ponder these questions yourself. A must see film! This film's theme of finding yourself, resembles the movie The Wood. Where actor Taye Diggs, whose character name is Roland, is having cold feet about getting married. But, after talking and reminiscing with friends he then figures out what makes him happy, his bride to be.
This film also has special effects that are not overbearing but help to relay what Lester is feeling at times. Specifically, the roses that he sees as he lusts over his daughter's friend Angela. The camera angles were also great. Overall great movie, and it lives up to its title, Beautiful.