Not the #2 movie of all time

Rating: 5/10 (1 March 2000)

What self-respecting movie buff could avoid seeing this movie? With all the buzz surrounding "American Beauty," as well as the number of Oscar nominations, I had to see it.
As it happens, I did not think this movie was the best movie of the year. I did think it had some of the best scenes of the year, and ALL of the actors were excellent. (Thank you for not casting Denise Richards as Angela...) I also loved the symbolism, which allowed me hours of entertainment after the initial uncomfortable three hours of film.
The movie possesses a great deal of strength, but the director was so intent to force the audience to "get it" that the message (and beauty of the message) was encumbered by the force-feeding of it. The voice-overs explaining the story at the beginning and the end should have absolutely been left out, as an intelligent audience can draw conclusions about the movie without the help.
I liked this movie, but I liked other movies more. I know it's not a strong argument, but this movie is NOT the #2 movie of all time. It just isn't.