Is this movie about you???

Rating: 10/10 (20 February 2000)

I saw this movie here in The Netherlands just the other day. It was already playing for a few weeks. Since I went to see it on a wednesday-night, I expected the theatre to be empty. What I didn't realize was that the Oscar nominations had been pronounced a day earlier, so the room was packed
"I-don't-know-jack-about-this-movie-but-it's-said-it's-gonna-win-a-lot-of-Os cars-so-I-guess-I've-got-to-see-it-for-that-reason-only"-people. Right in front of me where sitting two young girls (about 17/18 I think) and they where laughing and giggling troughout the whole film. When I left the theatre afterward, they were walking right behind me and I overheard the following conversation: "Well, it was really funny, but the story didn't make any sense!", said the first. "Yeah, it was like totally lame! And the end was really stupid!!!" said the other. I was stunned. Yes, American Beauty is very funny and I laughed throughout the whole movie myself. But it was a stomach-turning laugh. When you think about what you're laughing at, you will find it's not that funny at all (at least I did). The story (which does make A LOT of sense) and the end of the film put it all in a rather painfull perspective, which makes you think about your own miserable life... So heres the point I'm trying to make: If you find yourself walking out of the theatre after seeing A.B., saying to a friend:""Well, it was really funny, but the story didn't make any sense!" and your friend answers:"Yeah, it was like totally lame! And the end was really stupid!!!", THIS MOVIE IS ABOUT YOU!!! You just don't realise it and probably never will. If you come to the same conclusions I did, this movie is probably also about you. The difference is, you DO realise it and that might just be a painfull experience...