Warning! PLOT SPOILERS!!!

Rating: Null/10 (13 May 2000)

This is a terrific film. It manages to pack such a punch in less than 2 hours, but it also seems to work better in pieces rather than a whole, but that is my only complaint (and a minor one at that). Film deals with the falling apart of a seemingly average American family. Dad: played by Spacey quits his job and starts a new job at fast food restuarant all while trying to hook up with a high school student. Mom: played by Benning begins having an affair with a rival real estate agent. And their daughter: played by Thora Birch begins distancing herself away from her parents who she can't love and begins a relationship with a strange neighbor, who see's so much beauty in the world. But things eventually reach the boiling point with tragic consequences. Very well acted and directed and an important film, but not worthy of all the Oscars it won. Especially best actor. Wes Bently steals every scene he is in, sometimes w/o saying a single word. 8/10