An excellent film, showing the "truth" of the suburbs . . .

Rating: 9/10 (5 May 2005)

As a high school film teacher, I appreciate the honesty of American BEAUTY. It digs underneath the surface, asking us to "look deeper." My students have reflected that this is among the best films this semester, accurately portraying the realities of their lives and the adults in them. The much maligned "voice over" works for this "post-modern" generation, accustomed to the vagaries of story. Kevin Spacey seems perfect back narrating his life, explaining his own downfall and, ironically, his "uplift." Also, the two teenage characters, forced to behave like adults, cast adrift by distracted parents, show the pressures we live under, the pressures to "fit-in" and connect with the mainstream culture around us at any and all cost. Great film for students and parents alike . . .