Reel Deal - Americal Beauty is a beautifl film
By American Beauty is a film that proves things are not always what they seem.
Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, a frustrated loser in the eyes of both his wife Carolyn and his teenage daughter Jane. Carolyn (Annette Bening) is a power-hungry real estate agent whose fondness of immaculate perfection goes far beyond the houses she puts on the market. Jane (Thora Birch) is a quiet, insecure high school student, whose best friend Angela can do nothing except talk about sex and her future modeling career.
Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley) is the new kid on the block who views the world through the eye of a video camera. He and Jane become close, while Angela, Jane's best friend, can do nothing but complain how weird he is. Lester starts to work out to impress Angela and Carolyn continues her quest for success while emotionally neglecting her husband and daughter.
RYAN'S REVIEW
When you look through the movie times this weekend, find out when and where American Beauty is playing. You won't be disappointed. This is the best film I have seen since Braveheart. With Oscar-caliber performances by Spacey, Bening and Bentley, this movie has a great feel. From the script to the story-line to the cinematography, it is flawless.
The thing I like best about this film is the amount of symbolism director Sam Mendes has put into it. Symbolism is what makes a good movie great and a great movie a classic. The best example is when Spacey is talking to his daughter about why they have drifted apart. We see them in the kitchen and we can hear what they are saying, but then the shot changes so we are looking at them through a window.
The director shot it so that each actor is in a different window separated by the wood frame. This symbolizes that something stands in between them.
The only thing I didn't like about this movie is I wanted to keep watching, but it had to end when it did. What I'm trying to say is, there is nothing wrong with this film. A
TARA'S TAKE
I cannot say enough good things about American Beauty. It is simply incredible. Kevin Spacey, who has always been one of my favorite actors, delivers yet another flawless performance. He is hilarious in the midst of this great drama, yet very sincere when the time calls for it and as always gives an excellent presentation.
Annette Bening is also wonderful, and her character is far from her portrayal of the sweet Sydney Ellen Wade in The American President. She is ruthless in this film, for Carolyn is the kind of character an audience loves to hate.
The plot, or more importantly, the ideas the plot provokes, are as great as the actors. This film challenges the conventional idea of beauty. Angela, a self-centered teen, is aware of only the typical notions of beauty, and lives her life superficially. She repeats her personal credo, "there's nothing worse in this world than being ordinary," throughout the film. Yet she is best friends with the "plain" Jane.
When Ricky shows Jane what he thinks is the most beautiful thing he's ever filmed - a plastic bag floating in the breeze - it is clear that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and can be found in almost anything. One just needs to know how to look.
Like Ryan, I did not want this movie to end. I guarantee this film will be nominated for best picture, and I would not be surprised at all if it won an Academy Award. A