Real and eye-opening

Rating: Null/10 (14 August 2000)

When I finished watching this movie, I sat in silence for awhile, trying to digest what I had just seen. Every aspect of American Beauty hit home. I think I realized how great a movie it was when I noticed that the actors looked real...they weren't all perfect-looking. They looked like someone that would live next door to you. They were in situations that anyone might be facing, like job down-sizing or homophobia. And, they reacted to these situations in painfully human ways. All I had heard about this movie before watching it was that Kevin Spacey played some guy who was obsessed with his teenage daughter's friend, so naturally, I wasn't expecting the greatest film. However, the film presents Lester's obsession not as the action of a pervert, but rather, as a search for beauty and peace in his life.(I apologize if I'm spoiling anything...I'm not quite sure what qualifies as a spoiler.) We all know someone like the Burnham family...picture perfect on the outside, tempestuous and unhappy on the inside. The whole objective of the film is to point out that what Americans use to beautify their lives(Mercedes SUVs, trophy wives, prestigious jobs, extramarital affairs) only make one want more. Some people will dismiss this movie as superficial, but I think it's because they make it superficial out of fear that they might be living what the movie tries to discourage. I will watch American Beauty again because it made me take a second look at my life and my values. I highly recommend it.