Wonderful movie, take nay sayer's words with a grain of salt(*SPOILERS*)

Rating: 10/10 (12 November 1999)

WOW! That was the only thing I could say about this movie for days. It was the only thing I could say about anything, because I was so engrossed in the story, still thinking about the things it revealed about life. Every now and then I hear the theme music playing in my head, and think about the beauty of a simple leaf as it is blown to the ground. This movie changed my life.
And now to those who would pooh-pooh this movie, I say to "look closer". People have missapplied the tagline, thinking that it is speaking about the plot. The plot is perfectly possible, everything that happens could possibly happen. However, people are suddenly on this reality hit. If they haven't seen something happen, then they don't believe that it can happen. People call this movie weird, they think that it is degrading or insulting towards women, they think Ricky Fitts is a jerk just because he is a drug dealer, they flat out don't get it! People are so caught up in what they think they know about characters, that they don't realize the subtle hints to surprises that come later. It is because they don't "look closer" at these people that they find this movie "weird" and don't understand the underlying motives.
Let's take Colnel Fitts's repressed homosexuality. His earlier comments about homosexuals, if taken at face value, totally belie his later actions. That is what makes his kiss with Kevin Spacey totally shocking. However after this action takes place we "look closer" at his actions you realize that his grandstanding against homosexuals was a smokescreen to cover his hidden homosexual tendencies. Same thing occurs when you find out Mena Suvari's character is a virgin after she has bragged about having sex with thousands of guys. She is bragging to cover up her embarrassment of how "ordinary" she is. Also if we look closer at her we realize that while she is (as Ricky says) totally ordinary, we also realize that through the eyes of Kevin Spacey who "looks closer" at her, she is anything but ordinary. Even in the bag that Ricky taped we hear the movie's message. At a glance it is a plastic bag being tossed around by the wind, but if examined closer it is a beautiful metaphor for the life of a human.
Those who do not like this movie should realize that they are the subject of the satire. Alan Ball is making fun of YOU!!! Those of you who do not see the beauty in dead things, who like to fire guns and listen to tapes based on "me-centered livng", those who live their life in a catatonic state, those who are so caught up in their jobs that they forgot to be happy. This movie is shining a ray of light on YOU, and either you don't get it, or you can't handle it.