Unsweet suburbia

Rating: 8/10 (2 June 2008)

"American Beauty" is a fine movie, but multiple viewings reveal some cracks, mostly having to do with contrivances. For example, the two Jims are clearly in the movie simply to fend off charges of homophobia resulting from the ending.
Also, Lester and his wife are set up to be too diametrically opposite  she worships success and he basically drops out and "goes hippie" when he loses his job. Wouldn't it have been cooler if she was the one secretly smoking pot?
Col. Fits' hatred for his son is too much. It's just implausibly ferocious, especially given his son's serene response. Angela's slutty dialogue gives away what we later find out about her.
The movie plays so many diversion games that you start to see them coming, right up to the violent ending.
Still, it's all well-acted and clever and funny and a great example of the all-American suburban satire.