Wow!

Rating: 8/10 (8 May 2010)

Watching this film 11 years later, I am reminded that it was quite probably the best film of 1999. And while it is an utter downer, it is impossible to stop watching. Kevin Spacey is a middle-aged husband father who's had enough of his crappy job, his offbeat daughter (Thora Birch) and harridan of a wife (Annette Benning). He becomes smitten with his daughter's best friend (Mina Suvari) and starts buying dope from the new kid next door (Wes Bentley). He quits his job and goes to work at a fast food eatery as a fry cook. Meanwhile, his wife, a real estate agent with serious emotional issues, takes up with a competing real estate guru (Peter Gallagher). The daughter hooks up with the dope dealing boy next door. The dope dealing boy's dad (Chris Cooper) is a military veteran and mental case who abuses his family. And so it goes, as Kurt Vonnegut used to write. Everybody is absolutely magnificent, the script sizzles and the camera-work is outstanding. Considering that all but two of the characters are headed for a big fall, it's amazing how captivating this film is. At times, it takes on a surreal quality. A must-see for adults.