So dark, yet disturbingly funny. Family dysfunction at its worst. I felt guilty laughing so hard.

Rating: 10/10 (8 October 1999)

From the opening scene to the rolling of the credits, "American Beauty" offers an unsettling presentation of human nature as it pertains to family, marriage, and midlife crisis. The film is as funny as it is tragic. Characterization is so tight that you get a true and palpable sense of all players as they grab you and drag you through this twisted middle class, suburban odyssey. A brilliant piece of work by director Sam Mendes. If you only see one film this year, this is it. Trust me!