Anti-American Beauty

Rating: 2/10 (24 March 2004)

They live in the suburbs, therefore they are losers.
That is the sum total of the wisdom imparted by this dreary, pointless and joyless satire of middle-class America, circa 1998. The amazing thing about the film is that the filmmakers (and apparently many in the audience) think this film is bursting with original ideas and deep insights. When in reality, this is a tired retread of antiestablishment cliches from the sixties. The only difference is that films as diverse as DIVORCE AMERICAN STYLE to THE PRESIDENT'S ANALYST to THE GUIDE FOR THE MARRIED MAN to I LOVE YOU, ALICE B. TOKLAS knew how to instill the material with pathos, despair and anger and still show a flair for the wickedly funny and bitingly satirical. AMERICAN BEAUTY is a mean, bitter and shallow examination of people who are mean, bitter and shallow. While those films were daring and fresh, BEAUTY is stale and dirty.
Kevin Spacey plays the overworked, under appreciated middle-class corporate drone who drops out of the rat race due to a severe case of the middle-age crazies. Unfortunately, he may be out of the race, but he remains a rat. As played with smarmy snugness by Spacey, the character of Lester Burnham seeks, not inner peace, but self gratification. After resorting to blackmail to get his corporate freedom, he spends his newfound leisure time lusting after his teenaged daughter's cheerleader friend, berating his wife, experimenting with drugs and just generally being obnoxious. Spacey's much praised performance is largely without nuance or heart; a less sympathetic depiction of an "everyman" would be hard to come by.
Despite the film's supposed antiestablishment slant and vaguely pro-drugs attitude, the film hardly embraces liberalism. The film is not only antifeminist, but anti-woman as well, portraying Lester's wife (played by the otherwise wonderful Annette Benning) as a shrieking, materialistic shrike. (How dare she find capitalism and the suburbs to her liking!) The other women are mere sex objects. And despite the fact that several of the filmmakers are openly gay, the film is condescendingly homophobic as well: The gay guys next door are used as a joke and when a villain is needed for the finale, out trots the neighborhood closet case.
Good satire says "This is us, aren't we something!" Bad satire says "This is them, aren't they pathetic!" AMERICAN BEAUTY goes beyond bad satire. The filmmakers make no attempt to conceal their contempt for the American middle class, a group they obviously view with no respect, no sympathy or even a shred of affection. They do, however, seem to respect their moviegoing dollars.
The film's tagline was "Look closer!" A bold invitation, considering just how little clothes this emperor is wearing.