An ode to middle age and life and beauty and...

Rating: 8/10 (21 June 2004)

My original comment was never approved by IMDb, perhaps because it was over 1,000 words (the maximum), so I will keep this much shorter.
"American Beauty" is billed as a comedy but it is really more of a tender look at American life, through the eyes of a middle-aged man named Lester (played expertly by Kevin Spacey). The film seems to be popular with younger crowds, although it is even more relevant to older viewers, as its "hero" of sorts is 40 years old and begins to see life in a new way.
He starts to get buff, hoping to win the heart of his daughter's (Thora Birch) pretty cheerleader friend (Mena Suvari), pretty much gives up in life, quits his job, lets his wife (Annette Benning) have an affair with a rich real estate agent, etc., etc. It's quite funny but also reveals a fundamental truth about suburban America, surprisingly realized by British director Sam Mendes (husband of Kate Winslet - at least for now).
Mendes directed the superior "Road to Perdition," a film about a gangster (Tom Hanks) who embarks on a road trip with his young son after the boy's mother and brother are both murdered. I felt that "Road to Perdition" was better for a few reasons, although both are amazing films, and "American Beauty" is still a fine slice of Americana. Don't confuse it with "American Pie" - it's wholly different.
The atmosphere evoked is brilliant - the musical score, though strangely similar to that of "Road to Perdition," is wonderful. You may recognize that the film approaches life and death much in the same way as HBO's TV show "Six Feet Under" - probably because that show was started by the writer of "American Beauty," who seems to hold a fascination with life and death, providing some beautiful scenes, such as when a teenager stares into the eyes of a dead man and claims to see God staring back at him.
This is an overrated film in my opinion, not as good as some other films I've seen, but it is one of the finest of the past decade and a beautiful experience unlike any you'll ever see.
As the tagline says: Look Closer...