Every rose has its thorn

Rating: Null/10 (3 August 2000)

I have seen "American Beauty" a total of four times. The first time I saw it, I was stunned. But with each additional viewing, I found myself less and less impressed.
This is not to say that "American Beauty" is a mediocre movie. I think it is great, in that it gives viewers plenty to think about in terms of everyday issues like one's identity, suburban ennui, personal responsibility, fantasy and repression. It also has great performances all around. Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening are memorable in their roles. Mena Suvari has a particularly poignant scene with Kevin Spacey within the film's final ten minutes. And why wasn't Wes Bentley nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar?
My problem with "American Beauty" lies with Kevin Spacey's character Lester Burnham and how the movie leads the viewer to believe that he is "the hero." I must admit that I found myself rooting for Lester the first time I saw this movie. But with subsequent viewings I found that there was little to nothing heroic about him. In fact, I found him repulsive at times. For example, there's the scene where his daughter (Thora Birch) confronts him about his not-so-subtle fawning for her best friend Angela (Mena Suvari). He quips back, "You better be careful, Jane. Or you're going to turn into a real bitch just like your mother!" If I remember correctly, this line was met with plenty of applause and laughter from the audience. I actually thought that this was a horrible thing for a father to say to his teenage daughter. Jane has every right to be angry with him! But the movie leads the audience to be more sympathetic to Lester. This is only one of several examples of misogyny in "American Beauty."
Annette Bening's character, Carolyn, also suffers at the expense of Lester's metamorphosis. "American Beauty" would have benefited greatly had it presented Carolyn in a more sympathetic manner. While Lester is "the hero" of the film, Carolyn is presented as this shrill harpy with very few redeeming qualities. This film does afford Carolyn some potentially sympathetic moments where the audience feels for her, but they never really come into fruition. Ultimately, she is more of a cartoon character than she is a real person to whom an audience member can relate.
My final complaint about "American Beauty" is that it gives the viewer a little too much to swallow. Some of it was just too implausible and unlikely for me to completely buy it. It asks the viewer to accept too much on simple faith. One thing that jumps to mind is when Ricky Fitts (a terrific Wes Bentley) reveals to Jane that he has $40,000 saved up from all of his drug deals and he asks her to run away with him. And she accepts. Maybe I am just naive, but I find it very unlikely that an 18-year-old would have that kind of money even if he is a big-time drug dealer. Not to mention being able to get away with it under the vigilant eyes of a strict father (Chris Cooper). And I didn't completely buy Ricky and Jane's relationship either. What would compel her to become romantically involved with someone who obsessively videotapes her in an almost menacing way?
Despite all this quibbling, I do think "American Beauty" is a worthwhile film to see. I thought its boldness was very fresh, for the most part. It is very watchable, with plenty of characters and scenes to savor. It also features great cinematography and music. Just don't be fooled by the heavy accolades it has been getting from critics who treat it as if it's the second coming.