definitely overrated

Rating: Null/10 (30 August 2000)

i have to agree with organicprankster's review.
i just saw this film (on video) after wondering and hearing about it all this time. my lady friend also wanted to see it for basically the same reasons and we both enthusiastically settled in.
it's not a bad film and i had a good time watching it, but it certainly isn't worth the attention it got. i'm 53 and the film paralleled my life in many respects, so i could certainly relate. obviously, i'm not the lone ranger in that regard or we wouldn't have this film in the first place.
my lady friend is a bit younger, with considerably less "life experiences," and thus could relate even less. neither of us disliked the film, but we wouldn't rank it higher than a lot of other stuff we've seen either.
for me, i think mitestar's praise of this film might hold the key to understanding all the attention it got.
apparently a lot of americans have lived very boring lives and could thus connect with lester's "rebellion" and the film's other themes of dysfunctional families, empty meaningless jobs and dead marriages. the younger audience may have had their own reasons.
being a child of the 60's, i couldn't connect with either lester's white-bread "rebellion" or whatever it is the kids found in this film. while i can relate to the other themes, i try to avoid them whenever possible and certainly don't care to dwell on them. the last thing i want to do is go to a movie which rubs my face in the essentially meaningless lives most americans apparently live, as perhaps would i had i not been careful to avoid the same pitfalls.
spacey's performance is fine, but not much above ordinary. he did a workman-like job -- i wouldn't have expected or accepted less. the same it true of bening's. frankly i thought wes bentley's portrayl of ricky fitts was heads and shoulders above anyone else's in this film, albeit in a much more minor role, yet surprisingly i never heard a thing about him in all the hype surrounding this movie.
and there certainly was plenty of that.
this film is not one of the 10 best films ever. it's not one of the 10 best films in the past 2 or 3 years. maybe less.
i don't think i missed something -- i've seen a lot of films in my time and i think i know a good one when i see it. same re: performances. this film had nothing particularly noteworthy in either regard. it could have been subtitled "ordinary people."
rent it and watch it and you will probably enjoy it. but lower your expectations several notches before you do.
and if you really feel the need to watch something good AND with "american" in the title, rent "american history x" instead.