A great film

Rating: 10/10 (22 December 2005)

The debut film of director Sam Mendes was an outstanding satire and was one of the last great works of art of the twentieth century. It tells the story of a tragic hero named Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) who realizes that there is something missing in his life but cannot tell precisely what. He quits his job, blackmails his boss and even resorts to drugs. Tragically, he realizes too late that he has taken for granted what is truly important in life. When I gave a valedictory address at my high school graduation I talked about what is important in life, what is not and knowing the difference. I used this character as an example of both how to look at the world and how not to behave. Indeed, we must try to take a world view more akin to that of Ricky Fits (Wes Bentley), the heart and soul of American Beauty, who finds beauty everywhere. Winner of 4 out of 5 major Oscars (could have easily won all 5) in 1999, the strongest single year in the history of cinema. 10/10