AMERICAN BEAUTY
SYNOPSIS:
Magazine writer Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) and his real estate agent wife Carolyn
(Annette Bening) lead a materially comfortable but emotionally barren life in the suburbs,
with their disillusioned teenage daughter Jane (Thora Birch). The appearance of Jane's
school friend Angela (Mena Suvari) sends Lester into paroxysms of lust and inspires him to
quit his job and lead a carefree life. Meanwhile Carolyn falls for the charms of rival
realtor Buddy Kane (Peter Gallagher) and Jane becomes involved with the mysterious, video
camera-wielding Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley) who has just moved next door to the Burnham's
with his father (Chris Cooper), an ex-Marine corps Colonel, and his emotionally withdrawn
mother Barbara (Allison Janney). These suburban lives are all emotional timebombs.
"This film is solid gold. Laugh, cry and be mesmerized: American Beauty is a film
you'll not want to miss. From the attention-grabbing opening through the maze of wonderful
moments, here is a special film that not only explores beauty, but tosses the notion of
'ordinary' high into the air, then allows our preconceptions to dissipate, like a
dandelion in the breeze. The combined considerable talents of acclaimed English theatre
director Sam Mendes and television writer Alan Ball have created a marvellous work:
biting, fresh direction and a script that is the epitome of good writing. All the
characters are so well developed, that as Quentin Tarantino said (talking about his Pulp
Fiction characters), they could all be the stars of their own movie. Add to this mix the
extraordinary talents of Kevin Spacey (who delivers pure screen magic, with impeccable comedic timing and presence), and you know that this is something special. Spacey is an
extraordinary actor – he of the deeply etched dimple epitomises everyman, yet in such
an individual way. The spontaneity of the scene when Carolyn discovers Lester and Ricky
smoking a joint outside is a joy. Annette Bening's Carolyn prickles with suburban pride
and ambition; Mena Suvari is a perfect precocious teen goddess; Thora Birch is just right
as the vulnerable teen; Ricky Fitts is impressive as the edgy neighbour, whose vision of
beauty defies boundaries. There's nothing worse than 'ordinary' we are told. So what is
'ordinary'? Is it the army obsessed colonel who despises faggots? Is it listening to
elevator music, while going through the motion of a forced, boring dinner and life? When
Bening screams with anguish, she could be screaming for all the characters – and for
all of us watching. Like crossroads at an intersection, the story lines come together in a
final, breathtaking climax, rivaling that of The Ice Storm. American Beauty is a
bewitching story about dreams, beauty and the tangled labyrinth of life."
Louise Keller
"American Beauty is the best film of this year and just about any year. What's
even more remarkable about this superb slice of suburban life is that it comes not from
the indie scene but carries the banner of Dreamworks Pictures, the studio founded by
Hollywood major players Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg. American
Beauty dares to explore what beauty is in the eyes of its characters, all of whom are
struggling to find the courage simply to carry on. It's an utterly captivating journey in
which the achingly funny and deeply moving exist side by side. Sam Mendes, an acclaimed
theatre director making his first film, insisted on a long rehearsal period (most films go
into production without rehearsal) and the results pay off brilliantly with a collection
of characters so well drawn we feel we already know them - at least on the surface.
Mendes' background pays off spectacularly in the performances he elicits from a cast
turning in uniformly outstanding work. Kevin Spacey's comic timing as he drools over
Angela turns Lester into character of Nabokovian dimensions, Annette Bening is a
materially fixated suburbanite dealing badly with her crumbling comfort zone and Thora
Birch and Wes Bentley are tremendously moving as the alienated results of their parent's
lives. Beauty arrives in unexpected places here and the expertly controlled manner in
which it's revealed makes us want to laugh and cry at the same time. Many films set out to
explore what it takes to find personal freedom; few do it in such funny, beguiling and
truthful ways as this unforgettable film."
Richard Kuipers
"Behind every suburban door is a volatile world on the edge of self destruction.
Either that or American Beauty has isolated a single case. Unlikely. The film plays like
reading a book, mostly (but not only) because of the narration of its central character,
taking us into his world - even after he has departed this world. The recognisably and
achingly real world that the writer, the director and the cast present on the screen is at
once discomforting and comfortable. The former for confronting honesty, the latter for
acute but non-judgmental observation. The nuances have the greatest impact, the humour is
like palliative care for the dying and the blackness of the subject matter oozes with the
complexity of love and hate in a single glance. Kevin Spacey is riveting and haunting as
the man in the middle of a vortex that wont let him go, an everyman yet unique, a failure
who succeeds in the one thing that matters: he retains a single ounce of decency. If it
were not for that, American Beauty would be ugly. Adorned with the irony and pathos of
life, American Beauty is a shattering yet enormously entertaining and witty work, destined
to be a classic. And for those who have the stomach for it, have a go at back to back
viewing of American Pie with this film. You may find that cinema - American cinema at that
- is not just a wimpy sausage factory; it can indeed have a caustic, invigorating edge.
And lots to think about."
Andrew L. Urban
|
Email this article

CRITICAL COUNT
Favourable: 3
Unfavourable: 0
Mixed: 0
TRAILER
See Andrew L. Urban's interview with
SAM MENDES
FEATURE
See our DVD REVIEW
Read our SOUNDTRACK REVIEWS




Best Film - Drama, Golden Globe Awards, Jan. 23, 2000
AMERICAN BEAUTY (MA)
(US)
CAST: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Peter
Gallagher, Allison Janney, Chris Cooper, Scott Bakula, Sam Robards
DIRECTOR: Sam Mendes
PRODUCER: Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks
SCRIPT: Alan Ball
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Conrad L. Hall A.S.C.
EDITOR: Tariz Anwar, Chris Greenbury
MUSIC: Thomas Newman
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Naomi Shohan
RUNNING TIME: 122 minutes
AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR: Universal International Pictures
AUSTRALIAN RELEASE: January 26, 1999
VIDEO DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures Video
VIDEO RELEASE: (Sell-through) March 7, 2001
|