the TRUTH be told: this film really is BEAUTIFUL!

Rating: 10/10 (23 July 2004)

What is so appealing about American Beauty is not only the fact that everything in the film is actually beautiful, but also that the film is so truthful. The movie takes us through the suburban lives of an "average" American family; and nothing in this film is sugar-coated. The excellent writing displays such honesty, that it's hard not to laugh at situations that any American family could find themselves in. And it's even harder to not be touched by this family's journey through every day life. The story is told -through narration- by a middle-aged man named Lester, who seems to be going through a not so typical mid-life crisis. His wife, Carolyn, and daughter, Jane, begin to change as well. Lester hates his job, is neglected by his family, and seems to be utterly unhappy, until one day he finds an outlet for his frustrations: a teenaged girl. Carolyn seems to never find any self-satisfaction and is constantly hard on herself for not being the perfect real estate agent; and then she finds lust with the 'King of Real Estate' (her biggest competitor) . And Jane is living in the shadow of her best and most flamboyant friend, Angela; until she finds her new and mysterious neighbor constantly videotaping her because he's just 'curious.' Lester's biggest transformation begins when he meets Angela for the first time. He is instantly fascinated with her, and we find this out through multiple fantasy sequences- which all share the same beautifully original symbolic element which can only be described in Lester's words: 'Spectacular.' We're not sure what it is, but we know that Lester's fantasies are not of perversion, but of some kind of yearning for love, acceptance, beauty, or anything in between. And these fantasy sequences are not the only beautiful thing in the movie. In fact, while Lester searches for happiness, we see that everything is beautiful. And I'm not just referring to the video tapings of Jane's new found neighbor, but of literally everything. Now, I won't give away the details, but every scene is filmed so perfectly that everything from a rose petal to even the saddest, most grotesque visions of death, are beautiful. That is the beauty of American Beauty. Everything can be, and is beautiful. However, that is only the underlying cleverness of the writing. The true beauty is found in Lester; a man whose life experiences are so sad, funny, touching, and confusing, that for some reason, in the end of the film everything seems to make sense. Definitely the best film of 1999, and sure to be an instant classic, American Beauty earns it's much deserved perfect rating of 10 STARS from me.