American Ugly: Don't rely on hype to decide if you'll see it.

Rating: 1/10 (5 October 1999)

Our local paper accidentally ran a photo from "Boogie Nights" accompanying the review of American Beauty. The coincidence was interesting.
Boogie Nights had characters who were trying to better themselves, in spite of the seamy circumstances they found or put themselves in. They were rather likeable -- people one could feel some sympathy for.
In contrast, the characters in "AB" were ALL unpleasant, unlikeable, undeserving of sympathy, and most of them behaved in unbelievably bizarre ways.
Annette Bening's acting was a caricature. Kevin Spacey was a disappointment.
I disliked the movie; My wife and daughters disliked it; and judging from the reactions when the lights came up, most of the rest of the audience was equally unimpressed.
Gotta wonder where all the "Oscar material" hype is coming from; I didn't see anything to merit it.