If you love plastic bags flying about, you'll love this

Rating: 8/10 (15 September 2006)

Rewatched this today after it was replayed on the telly. Wasn't a massive fan of the movie when it came out, but back in '99 I preferred zany comedies and movies with machine guns.
The movie follows a family out of control. The dad (Spacey, in a great performance) has had enough of being pushed around by his wife and his work. His wife (Bening) is sick of her unfulfilled life. The daughter is sick of her family. The daughter has a friend (Suvari) who has men issues and also a neighbour who is creeping her out. The movie gets in motion as the dad starts turning into a different person. He quits his job, stands up to his wife, starts smoking pot and starts working out. His actions have a chain reaction on his family and their lives all change dramatically.
The movie has several interesting themes, and leaves a few things for the viewer to ponder. A refreshingly different, deep movie, if not at times a bit too arty for the sake of art (eg the plastic bag scene). Well worth a watch, but be prepared for a few uncomfortable moments. Some very funny moments courtesy of Spacey.