It was very good

Rating: 9/10 (24 February 2000)

I was fairly certain that they were going to re-release this movie just before the Oscars, I missed it the first time around and wanted to see it in a theater so I was thrilled to get the chance. I gave this movie a 9/10, but wanted to give it an 8.5. On it's own merit, American Beauty is very well done, the acting and story are solid. The most interesting thing that I found (it's been almost a week since seeing it) it what this movie does to the viewer. It seems to suck you in and hold you in a place where time doesn't matter. At one point I looked at my watch to see how much was left and was surprised to see how early in the movie we were, but then it seemed like the movie was over. The curious thing is that even though the movie captivated my attention, it also manages to keep the characters from really involving you. What I mean is you have a strange, morbid fascination with them, but you aren't encouraged to care for them. It's like being a fly on the wall. But is this movie worthy of a perfect 10 or even a 9? I guess it depends on how you rate movies. I use my past experience in deciding on what value this movie holds for me. Is the best movie I've ever seen? Maybe, is it the best movie I'll ever see, I hope not.