Thought-provoking, realistic tale of a midlife crisis

Rating: 9/10 (24 March 2003)

American Beauty (1999) D: Sam Mendes. Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Peter Gallagher, Allison Janney, Chris Cooper, Scott Bakula, Sam Robards. Thought-provoking, realistic tale of a midlife crisis. A first person account of one man's quest to turn his life around and how he turns everyone else's life into a living hell as a result. This film has everything: humor, drama, violence, and several plot twists. The acting, especially by Spacey, is superb and the twist ending is a nice added touch. Certainly not for all tastes, as the subject matter is less than squeaky clean. RATING: 9 out of 10. Rated R for strong sexual situations, profanity, violence, and drug use.