Just because everyone else likes this doesn't mean you have to as well...

Rating: 2/10 (19 February 2006)

Did you know Chevy Chase was originally supposed to play the lead? It probably would have been a very different movie, perhaps a much much better movie. And this movie isn't the worst thing ever made, but it definitely takes itself far too seriously; as if for the first time everyone saw the grit and corruption of the average middle class family. Big fukcing deal. Woody Allen's "Husbands and Wives", or Solondz's "Happiness", or even John Waters "Serial Mom" are much greater achievements that didn't even reach cult status. Then you have American Beauty, the (as another user put) "the most important film of the 90s".
There are just certain movies that get blown way out of proportion, more than they deserve, and then it goes down in history as a landmark for that time.
Kevin Spacy could not have been any worse. He's so arrogant and coy. Hey Kevin, stop reading reviews about yourself. And same with Thora Birch. Both of their performances are infuriatingly embarrassing to watch. Chris Cooper is excellent, and the real estate king thing works. Annette Benning is decent, too.
There are movies that aren't trying to be good, and there are movies that we refer to as "films". Then there's garbage like American beauty. A big turd that critics and idiots all over have carefully placed inside of a golden egg. A fat, rotten, golden egg.