LIKE CITIZEN KANE...A MASTERWORK OF CINEMA THAT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN

Rating: 10/10 (31 March 2000)

What separates a landmark film from merely a good one? The power to move, to spark controversy, and inspire. I applaud the Academy for all those awards given in recognition of this amazing work. As you've read below, many shrug off the message of this film and call it "politically correct," ignoring the growing cancers in our current society. Gun crime, homophobia, marital infidelity, the drug trade, all very real issues our country must face head on. Too bad the vast majority of Hollywood pictures such as "Erin Brockovich" are flat and leave the viewer thinking they've just seen a TV docu-drama rather than a feature film.
Think of Best Picture winners of the recent past. Forrest WHO? Silence of the WHAT? Shakespeare in love HUH? Thirty years from now American Beauty will be remembered as the innovative, enduring classic of our generation.