American Beauty Reviews and Ratings


  • skotjay
    November 23, 2009
    skotjay
    Anyone who likes this movie and doesn't mind catching an older flick, should see "Sunset Boulevard (1950)"
  • mfou88
    November 23, 2009
    mfou88
    Can some accident change all your life?
    I hope if this is true, may be it would be useful with me.
  • chriskolar
    November 23, 2009
    chriskolar
    Kind of weird. Leading into some trouble for a man. Shows how the hotties have the power.
  • danimoviefreak
    November 22, 2009
    danimoviefreak
    sarcastic and twisted
  • Arianeta
    November 19, 2009
    Arianeta
    "DON'T BRINK ME DOWN" is the seventh track on Neil Young's album After the Gold Rush. It was written by Young Annie Lennox covered the song on her 1995 Medusa album; her version also appeared in the movie American Beauty (1999), although it wasn't included on the film's soundtrac...( read more)k album.
  • ythelastman89
    November 18, 2009
    ythelastman89
    It's undoubtedly a great movie. It says a lot about who we are as humans. However, it's just a little to clean. It never takes that next step into storytelling. The characters all reach this pinnacle in their development, but fail to go anywhere. The message is great, but I think...( read more) they should've pushed the limit a little more. I guess I'm just complaining to complain here. I think the acting was great and everyone was completely believable.
  • vieirajoseph
    November 17, 2009
    vieirajoseph
    Classic Academy Award winning film, I was blown away by the power of this story
  • PrincessKiki22
    November 15, 2009
    PrincessKiki22
    loved everything about this movie
  • theloneowl
    November 14, 2009
    theloneowl
    Uno dei film della categoria "Film che so a memoria", l'avrò visto un milione di volte, non stanca mai, e trasmette sempre la solita piacevole tristezza.
  • ffiiiz
    November 14, 2009
    ffiiiz
    Oscar winner, classic film- liked it but not overly watchable and highly boring and veery twisted at times.
  • TomBowler
    November 12, 2009
    TomBowler
    There is so much to like in this film. Incredible images. Fantastic script. Great story. Kevin Spacey. Spot-on humour. Enrapturing stillness. Mena Suvari. Perfect music. Capativating cinematography. Mena Suvari. Fascinating insight. Mena Suvari. The list goes on. All of these ele...( read more)ments combine together and make an absolutely brilliant movie which won five oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Writing and Best Cinematography. All the important ones. The secret of this film is in its portrayal of the different themes which it conveys. It does this in the same sort of fashion as David Fincher's Fight Club in many ways; using dark humour to make something abhorent slightly more acceptable being the most prominent. In any other representation, this film would be seen as too confronting for the public, but the humour makes it acceptable. I for one am very thankful for the delightful splashes of humour throughout the film, making it a much more pleasant experience than other films with the same themes represented.

    Lester is the main humourous element in this movie, with fantastic conversations with his estranged wife Carolyn (Carolyn: "Where's Jane?" Lester: "Jane not here right now." Genius.). Kevin Spacey plays him to perfection, from his wild outbursts to his mellower moments, he is pitch perfect the whole way through. Similarly, Annette Benning is brilliant as Carolyn, forcing us to hate her in every way imaginable, though slightly feeling sorry for her at the same time. But it is Mena Suvari who is the revelation here, from her many speeches about her sexual adventures to her fragility and vulnerability in the later scenes. Thora Birch plays Jane wonderfully as well, no matter how tired our current generation is of the "striving to be different teenage girl" character which seems to occupy our screens far too much these days. Each of these different parts perfectly compliment each other and together it makes for a brilliant film. The direction, too, is astounding, especially with Mendes' use of the camcorder for clever shots within shots. This is one of my new favourite films of all time. And I don't say that too often, so Mendes should feel very proud of himself.

    Defining Scene:
    The Spartanettes dance routine. Wildly innappropriate and visually stunning. Film at its finest.
  • blackeyedsurfer
    November 11, 2009
    blackeyedsurfer
    Meh. I'm over this one.
  • rikanderson
    November 10, 2009
    rikanderson
    Great movie, so suburban, mmmm nice set!
  • Yelverton
    November 8, 2009
    Yelverton
    Great acting in a really bad movie.
  • timeladyinred
    November 8, 2009
    timeladyinred
    Great film, very funny yet serious at the same time.
  • horrormoviefan
    November 8, 2009
    horrormoviefan
    I just don't see what all the hype with this movie is about. I found it to be very boring only thing it has going for it is some nice looking girls.
  • horrorslut
    November 7, 2009
    horrorslut
    This film is truly a cinematic piece of art!
  • 360PL4Y3R
    November 7, 2009
    360PL4Y3R
    Great message, Great movie, undeniably one of the best
  • jeff954y
    November 6, 2009
    jeff954y
    A movie I really loved. And this remind me I have to see it again sooon.
  • jonggrepo
    November 6, 2009
    jonggrepo
    Weird and very honest depiction of a troubled family. An unusual beautiful picture.
  • mixermi
    November 5, 2009
    mixermi
    Very odd, and very weird
  • posm1st
    November 3, 2009
    posm1st
    Guess I do not like predictable movies. Heard it was good but only if you like to lose IQ points.
  • K1llj0y
    November 1, 2009
    K1llj0y
    My favorite movie. Period. Just amazing...
  • tyguy1882
    November 1, 2009
    tyguy1882
    This movie was awesome in every way. It was funny, entertaining, it kept you guessing till the end and it was a great story that makes you think about life its worth buying,.
  • pavacri23
    October 31, 2009
    pavacri23
    i had to see to times to get it.
  • dukeakasmudge
    October 29, 2009
    dukeakasmudge
    I didnt think Id like this movie but its 1 of my faves
  • musikankan1
    October 29, 2009
    musikankan1
    I don't know why, but I didn't like this movie too much. It made me feel bad, in a way.
  • mariokilledpeach
    October 28, 2009
    mariokilledpeach
    Classic, I took a girl on a first date to see this movie, seeing Kevin Spacey wank on screen kinda killed the moment!!

    Great film. Apart from Thora Birch's rack, just for that it loses half a star!
  • cccomissi
    October 27, 2009
    cccomissi
    True end of century cynicism, a revision of the age old desire to escape suburbia with a captivating performance from Kevin Spacey.
  • ahhh1989
    October 27, 2009
    ahhh1989
    Hilarious, heartbreaking, and beautiful. The destruction of suburban living has never been more philosophical.
  • junegrl13
    October 26, 2009
    junegrl13
    hmmm wonder what it's about
  • pinnakvinna
    October 25, 2009
    pinnakvinna
    I thought this movie was great. The story takes on in the American suburbs where Lester lives a boring life together with his wife and daughter. He feels like he has been in a coma for the past 20 years because. When he meets his daughter's friend Angela, everything changes and h...( read more)e starts to feel alive again and begins taking more risks in his life. I thought this movie was genius, it teaches you that you can make changes in your life and how small things have great consequences. This is definetely a movie to watch.
  • SilentScreamer
    October 24, 2009
    SilentScreamer
    Honestly didnt care for it. It was weird and dark and twisted. not my cup of tea.
  • Tsukaira
    October 24, 2009
    Tsukaira
    The plastic bag scene was my favorite. Everything else was meh and nast.
  • geeses1996
    October 23, 2009
    geeses1996
    idk wut this is but the synopsis sounds pretty good so
  • Dojdan
    October 22, 2009
    Dojdan
    Kevin Spacey spelar kanske inte en drömfarsa. Men filmen, den är riktigt bra!
  • youthagainstfascism1
    October 21, 2009
    youthagainstfascism1
    I saw this movie a long time back.
    Kevin Spacey was amazing like always
    The writing for the teenage part of the movie was kind of cliche'
    Other than that it was a complete achievement by Sam Mendes
  • stevenjedenburn
    October 20, 2009
    stevenjedenburn
    I always avoided this movie, but my god it was sublime.
  • rosswilhh
    October 20, 2009
    rosswilhh
    One of my favorites.
  • reetzbrian
    October 19, 2009
    reetzbrian
    awsome movie that makes you think about society.
  • davidjbrewster
    October 19, 2009
    davidjbrewster
    This stays with you for a long time.
  • romeobintangtimur
    October 18, 2009
    romeobintangtimur
    the most dark comedy of american lifestyle and try to be honest to their people
  • charismaneyeliner
    October 16, 2009
    charismaneyeliner
    Excellent Movie!! Spacey was remarkable in this. His best performance were in this film and 21. (K-Pax and Usual Suspects were phenomenal as well.)
  • wwaising
    October 14, 2009
    wwaising
    A rather dark, heavy & complicated comedy about a man experiencing his mid-life crisis; as well as the people around him. Brilliant cast including Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Chris Cooper, & even the new young generation.
  • maxawilliamson
    October 14, 2009
    maxawilliamson
    Beautifully filmed thanks to the help of Roger Deakins and Sam Mendes. With the beautiful Orchestrated soundtrack of the incredible Thomas Newman makes this film unmissable .
  • karenpackace
    October 12, 2009
    karenpackace
    I didn't care for this movie.
  • FangsFirst
    October 12, 2009
    FangsFirst
    I've seen seven Best Picture winners in theatres before they actually won, but this is the one that was at a point where I was starting pay attention to movies yet still didn't care, worry or know enough about the politics of them to wonder or debate whether they might become Bes...( read more)t Picture winners. I just thought it was a movie and my family was going to see it, and I knew my artsier friends were enjoying it, but that was about all. My sister was a big fan of Kevin Spacey, for his earlier work. Like many, it sort of curbed her interest a bit by placing him in a starring role. That never particularly bothered me, never felt he was overexposed, but occasionally thought he might be doing a bit like De Niro and taking on some less than necessary (or even uninteresting) films after this. One wonders why actors seem to do this AFTER big works--shouldn't they have just gotten some bills paid? Still, that's a sidenote to the film itself.

    The Burnhams are a pretty strictly familiar suburban upper-middle class (maybe upper-upper) family, Lester (Spacey) entering a mid-life crisis, Carolyn (Annette Bening) failing to cope with this or her own crisis, and mildly rebellious daughter Jane (Thora Birch) revelling in the role of 'outsider' in school, while hoping just a bit to find some companionship outside of it, or even within it. Her closest friend is, somewhat mysteriously, the promiscuous fellow cheerleader Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari). Moving in next door are the Fitts, Colonel Frank, USMC (Chris Cooper), Barbara (Allison Janey) and Ricky (Wes Bentley). Jane's first run-in is with Ricky, who she finds videotaping her form his porch, openly, shamelessly, but without any note of threat. Ricky himself is estranged from his family, his mother lost in her own mind and his father fighting to control his son, who has been involved in drugs and, his father suspects anyway, homosexuality. Lester tries to burn through his own life, his worthless job and his failed marriage, while trying to engage in the fantasy of seducing his daughter's friend Angela. Carolyn attempts to escape by bonding with her real estate competitor Buddy Kane (Peter Gallagher). Jane attempts to deal with her collapsing parents while being drawn to the danger and mystery of Ricky.

    There's a note, as many films suffer after receiving acclaim, of sour grapes from many people regarding this film--or at least a feeling of contrarian opposition to its acclaim and awards. "Overrated" is thrown at it pretty regularly, with a sneer and typically an accompanying sense of accomplished superiority. Of course, one cannot become superior by anything simply by saying it isn't as good as OTHER people think, or simply that it "sucks." Interestingly the film this reminds me of most (albeit backward considering the timeline along which I saw them) is Ordinary People, which is amusingly appropriate both because it is reviled as winner of the Best Picture Oscar in 1980 (mostly because it beat out Raging Bull) and because apparently American Beauty's first-time director Sam Mendes looked back at that very film for inspiration. Both deal with a level of socioeconomic living that many of us do not experience--somewhat above our own without falling into the absurdly incomprehensible fantasy of the ultra-rich--and the problems that plague the people in it, which differ somewhat little from those the rest of us know.

    Once, while watching Donnie Darko, I experienced a rather common reaction to films like this: "But they have money, they can't have problems!" someone exclaimed at that one. I was struck by the absolute absurdity of this idea, but was left pondering the difference. Certainly if we start looking comparatively, any of us (especially anyone who can read a movie review posted only on the internet, or able to read one at all for that matter) can find someone in a worse position than ourselves. Problems are not intrinsically valued or valueless, as dealing with them on a universal scale is inherently absurd. There's no way to suggest that Lester's dissatisfaction with the dishonest approach of everyone in his life is unimportant, because it is important to Lester. Few--if any--can will away problems that are emotionally affecting, and so they become important at least in the context of the person having them and those around him or her. There's a smart approach to this in American Beauty, as there is in the entirety of Alan Ball's approach to the script: characters are all born from existing stereotypes, but all twist and contort them without being flagrant contradictions or sardonic inversions. A dis-satisfied suburban father in a useless job becomes a man seeking youth earnestly and in unusual ways, some expected, some not, and finding it in a place he, himself, would never have suspected. A shrew-like mother who holds her problems over her family but secretly holds this shield of frustration over deep insecurities and depression, who is trying to re-assemble her life and reclaim her role as mother but simply doesn't understand it because she has no concept of herself. An outsider daughter who fits naturally into the role of cheerleader--somehow!--and yet lacks promiscuity, all while secretly planning breast augmentation to attract more male attention, and boost her own self esteem.

    The film is not an amazing revelation in thematic terms, though it does have an appropriately post-modern outlook on these same themes and ideas. It has a hint of the dark and a twist of the sarcastic without being overly "hip" or pretentious (though those who are happily embraced it on release). Mendes' direction and the fantasies hiding in the film, specifically Lester's fantasies about Angela, are fascinatingly creative, neither arthouse abstraction nor clumsily obvious symbolism. Thomas Newman's accompanying score for these scenes is fantastically mischievous, recognizing the problematic nature of them, but reminding the audience that this is only fantasy--though not some members, who still oversimplify the film to decry it as being about a "sick, deranged pedophile." His score is hauntingly bittersweet, plucking the right aching heartstrings when witnessing things from the outside, as Ricky often does through the lens of his camera when watching his neighbors interact. The moment where he tapes a silent conversation between Lester and Jane through their kitchen window to only Newman's sweet, sad music captures perfectly the dichotomy between the intense emotional response of the Burnhams themselves and the invisibility of those problems to anyone from the outside who isn't paying attention as most don't.

    This is not an overrated film, really. Those who suggest as much either have very specific tastes (which is fine!) or are simply trying to prove their worth by degrading something recognized somewhat widely as being a quality release (which is not so fine). Alan Ball easily proved this was no fluke by going on to make Six Feet Under, while Mendes went on to direct solidly visual and engaging films like Jarhead.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    October 11, 2009
    FiLmCrAzY
    Im ctually disappointd i love black comedies and i love kevin spacey,and ithought that this ould be fntastic because of all the great reiews and all the awards it won but i didnt think it was all that!
    Kevin spacey is brilliant and this movie is funnny but it didnt keep me grabb...( read more)ed ad ijust felt this movie was a bit boring and pointless and stranely weird although this movie is different in storylines which i like, i think it tried to hard and just didnt eplain it properly! i dint like he ending and was left confused so i was totally not impressed which clearly so many people disagree with me but canthelp it not the move for me!
    kevin sacey plays a man who life bsically sucks so wehn hequits his job he ets to do all the things hewnts and with a daughter who doesnt like him , a wife who is having a affair and a marine who doesn like gays it leads to disaster! you may or may not like this movie!
  • riezqy1
    October 11, 2009
    riezqy1
    The real beauty is you

Summary

American Beauty Summary