American Beauty

Rating: 10/10 (15 June 2006)

The debut film from Oscar and Golden Golden winning, and BAFTA nominated director Sam Mandes (Road to Perdition, Jarhead) is a brilliant black comedy drama with all the right ingredients. Basically Lester Burnham (deserved Oscar and BAFTA winning, and Golden Globe nominated Kevin Spacey) is a troubled man who seems bored with life. He is getting sick of his wife Carolyn (BAFTA winning, and Oscar and Golden Globe nominated Annette Bening), who is having an affair with her rival estate agent, Buddy Kane (Peter Gallagher). His daughter Jane (gorgeous BAFTA nominated Thora Birch) meanwhile is falling for neighbour Ricky Fits (BAFTA nominated Wes Bentley), while Lester is having fantasies about her friend, the slutty (?) Angela Hayes (American Pie's BAFTA nominated Mena Suvari). Ricky's father Col. Frank Fits, USMC (Chris Cooper) finally is pretty much being influenced to becoming homosexual. This film is basically the struggles of relationships, mixed with some great comedic moments, and an unexpected ending. It won the Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen and Best Picture, and it was nominated for Best Music for Thomas Newman and Best Editing, it won the BAFTAs for the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Film, and it was nominated for Best Make Up/Hair, Best Production Design, Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound and the David Lean Award for Direction, and it won the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Screenplay, and it was nominated for Best Original Score. Kevin Spacey was number 4 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, and the film was number 29 on The 100 Greatest Sexy Moments for Spacey in bed watching Suvari on the ceiling, with rose petals falling. Outstanding!