Not a fan of dysfunctional mayhem

Rating: 3/10 (14 December 2017)

This is a story about a very dysfunctional guy in a very dysfunctional family. Some others in his neighborhood also fit the bill. Even Lester Burnham's (Kevin Spacey) acquaintances are screwed up. There may be some satire of American lifestyles in suburbia. And, it may be a sadly realistic portrayal of some of Western culture of the early 21st century, which was dawning.
But mostly, it's just about a dysfunctional group of people with no seeming aim or purpose in life. So they exist for fleeting pleasure of things, their self-centered interests, and sexual promiscuity. I don't find this stuff entertaining. "American Beauty" is anything but beauty. Hollywood may call it art, but I think it's more closely art spelled backwards with an "sh" on the end.
Obviously, I'm in a minority of views about this film. That this movie won a fistful of Oscars and other awards just tells how far Hollywood has fallen from its days of great movie-making. In a word, this movie is more smut than good drama.