One of the best films of the year.

Rating: 9/10 (29 September 1999)

Watching American Pie is almost like holding a mirror up to
ourselves and we get to see the ups and downs that happen to us
in our daily routines. Kevin Spacey is perfect as Lester, a
henpecked husband and father who is unappreciated by his family
and his job. Only when he sees Angela, does his world change.
He is born again and he starts living life to its fullest.
Annette Benning teeters on the brink of insanity. She is so
obsessed with success, she doesn't realize how pathetic and
trivial her life is. Only when she has an affair, does she
start to turn around. Thora Birch and Mena Suvari play their
parts well, and they act like real teenagers. There are put
downs, boasts and sullen looks that make you feel like you've
been transported back to high school. All of these elements
combine to make a very well directed and well written film. We
see the desperation in each persons life and we can identify
with them. We want to be successful, we want to be loved and we
want to be able to stand out from the rest of the world.
Trouble is, this world is a big, bad place and we often get put
into positions that take us further away from our dreams.
American Beauty shows us what happens when we take charge of our
lives, and as we see in Kevin Spacey, we can live life to the
fullest. Take time out to see the little things in life, and
see beauty in everything in this world. If we don't, we might
as well keep our heads bowed and let our dreams be nothing more
than dreams.