THIS MOVIE HITS TOO CLOSE TO HOME FOR SOME.

Rating: 10/10 (3 March 2000)

I can go on and on about the great acting, directing, music and cinematography that can be found in this film. I can cite examples of why I think it is a modern classic and a movie for the ages. But that has already been done in hundreds of previous posts hasn't it. So instead I will ask those of you who have already seen this motion picture a couple of important questions:
Can you take constructive criticism? Can you avoid the natural human knee-jerk reaction of shutting off all rational thought when confronted with things disturbingly familiar? If you can, then you probably walked away from this film marveling at its message and realizing that there is an entire world of truth and beauty beneath the surface of the everyday things we think so important. If you cannot, then you are probably reacting to these words the same way you did to the film, - with loathing. Truth hurts. But you know something, -- it need not.
I went into this movie with an open mind, not looking for reasons to hate it or put it down simply because the vast majority seemed to love it. I sat back and allowed it to work its ethereal and insinuating magic on me. The truly beautiful thing about this film is that it will strike chords within you that will resonate throughout your soul, -- as long as you allow it to. The movies main message is that we are NOT perfect (nor should we try to be, regardless of what society says), --- only by accepting this fact in ourselves and in others can we truly reach peace and happiness. However, before we in the audience can do this, we must first learn to get over the fear and embarrassment of having our naked souls bared before us, of seeing our own reflections in this disturbing but ultimately transcendental mirror known as AMERICAN BEAUTY.
10 out of 10.