A GREAT movie

Rating: 10/10 (26 September 1999)

American Beauty has a lot of things. Combined, it makes one hell of a tragic comedy. The performances are exquisite, which helps out a lot in the movie. Kevin Spacey turns out his best performance (better than his academy award winning "The Usual Suspects)as a father in an enfatuation that gets him in a rebellious mood. Annette Benning is also scathingly funny as a mother with more problems than meets the eye. And finally, the passion of the daughter, Jane, with the guy next door, Spacey's passion for his angel (and Jane's best friend) Angela. There is a lot of funny moments, tragedy, and beauty. It is like a upper- middle class version of a Shakespeare Play. With everything working in this movie, it is a direct hit. But if you don't trust this, look closer.