This is easily one of the best movies of the year. It tells the story of suburban life. How that life can seem quiet and sedate but under the surface is a riot of problems and fears. American Beauty peeks underneath that veneer to see what's beneath and it ain't pretty. Lester (Spacey) is our hero of sorts. He works a thankless job and has a thankless family. His wife (Benning) has forgotten about him in her pursuit of success and his daughter (Birch) hates him. Oh yeah, and he is going to die in less than a year. Don't worry, that's not a spoler. Lester tells us as much in a voice over in the opening shot of the movie. That little detail adds an odd grimness to what follows. He's bored to death by his life, just going through the motions. But when he and his wife Carolyn go to watch their daughter Jane as a cheerleader at a basketball game, he's suddenly awakened by the site of her friend Angela. He's immiediately smitten and starts acting stupid around her, much to his daughter's horror. The rest of the movie watches him as he starts to live life again. He starts doing whatever makes him happy. His wife is appalled by his new behavior. The movie is frequently a riot. The laughs are plentiful and frequently as simple as a look or reaction. I would highly recommend the movie if it were just that humor but it's a lot more than that. There is a lot of depth to all the characters. Lester is obviously front and center as he tries to recapture his youth. Kevin Spacey plays him to perfection. His wife has lost sight of who she is. She has become so desperate in her quest for success that she doesn't know how to live anymore. She has become a plastic imitation of a person. All image, no substance. The worst part is she seems to know it too. Daughter Jane is painfully self-concious. She's saving up for a boob job even though she needs a bigger chest like the Titanic needed more ice. Her best friend Angela (Suvari) is a sexual braggart scared of being normal. Finally there is Ricky (Bentley), the next door neighbor who films everything because he can see the beauty in the simplest things. I could go on and on but there wouldn't be much point in you're watching the movie if I did. The direction and photography are both awesome. No detail is overlooked to capture the mood perfectly. It's not enough that Ricky talks about filming beauty. They actually capture his vision for us to see as well. Wes Bentley is amazing as Ricky. He creates a character who is very quiet but startlingly intense at the same time. It makes a great foil to Jane's insecurity. Despite the obvious humor, this is a sad story in many ways. It shows how life can become stale over time. It shows how the lack of communication can stagnate marriage. It shows the discomfort of simply being a teenager. When combined well, humor and drama can make for a very powerful combination. In this movie, they are mixed beautifully. - John Shea
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