American Beauty

For my first film reviewed I have chosen "American Beauty". Why? Well, "American Beauty" is most likely my favorite film on the planet. I get giddy thinking about it, I get pretentious when talking about it. Basically, its found a little nest in my heart in which to live. So, needing to be unbiased as a film reviewer, I must try over the course of this review to be level-headed and, yes, unbiased. It's a difficult task. But here I go:
"American Beauty", directed by Sam Mendes, is a terrific film (this isn't bias, this is simply the over-arching point of the review. I swear. Don't look at me that way!). It's funny, sad, disturbing, profound, dark, highly original, and amazingly realized. Written by Alan Ball, the creator of television's wonderful "Six Feet Under", "American Beauty" is a film with so many layers that you'd think it'd turn out to be a mess, a hodgepodge of a film. It doesn't. Instead, it is one of the funniest and most insightful films ever made about suburbia and the dark underbelly that its inhabitants try to ignore.
Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, a depressed, middle-aged suburban father whose life suddenly spins out of control when he forms a budding attraction to his 16 year-old daughter's best friend Angela (Mena Suvari). His daughter's name is Jane (Thora Birch), who Lester describes as "a pretty typical teenager. Angry, insecure, confused." His wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) is a frighteningly repressed real-estate agent, who equates feeling upset with failure. And Angela is the kind of blond, bitchy cheerleader that you knew in high school and hated. Lester works a dead-end job and his family thinks he's a loser. It was only a matter of time before he cracked. Intertwined with the Burnham's story is that of Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley), the creepy next-door neighbor who films everything with his video camera and has developed an intense fascination with the sullen Jane. Ricky's father, Col. Fitts (Chris Cooper) is a bigoted, strict military man who is a burden on both his son and his wife, Barbara (Allison Janney). The two stories connect in interesting and surprising ways, and they never feel disjointed or disconnected.
The script is wonderful. As Jane walks towards the car in the morning, Carolyn comments "Jane, honey, are you trying to look unattractive?" to which Jane responds "Yes". Carolyn then quips, "Congratulations. You've succeeded admirably." Such interactions are bitingly funny and yet completely honest and true to life. Ball also shows a thoughtfulness concerning the events that unfold throughout the film. The plot doesn't sound like it should work, but presented here, it plays it out beautifully. The film is also incredibly brave for tackling so many issues, such as repression, sexuality, conformity, beauty, and redemption. I won't lie, I don't mind a pro-tolerance message. But "American Beauty" is so much more than liberal claptrap. It's art imitating life, its a mirror reflecting our own lives, and the elements of our lives which we don't love to admit to (okay, now I'm starting to get really pretentious. And I love that I think it's okay to be pretentious as long as I'm self-aware about it).
The performances are all superb, headed by Spacey's perhaps iconic depiction of Lester Burnham. His sardonic delivery is pitch-perfect and the role seems to fit Spacey like a glove. When Spacey says, "Janie, today I quit my job. And then I told my boss to go fuck himself, and then I blackmailed him for almost sixty thousand dollars. Pass the asparagus.", he finds both the humor and the honesty in this statement. In another actor's hands, this line might have seemed unrealistic and the delivery would most likely border on camp. Spacey balances the sarcasm and the reality, and therefore successfully milks the scene for all it's worth. Annette Bening as the repressed, materialistic Carolyn is also indelible. Although Carolyn is decidedly a caricature, Bening is amazingly adept at tapping into the human emotions behind this woman. The scene in which she breaks down after failing to sell a house is terrifying. Carolyn, afraid of failure, begins to slap herself in an attempt to stop crying. Then she wipes the tears away, recomposes herself, and walks away. Bening thoroughly understands this vital moment and how important it is for the complete comprehension of Carolyn as a character. She doesn't let it get away from her, and we are ultimately allowed to see the human inside of the caricature. Thora Birch's performance is good without being spectacular, she receives some of the weakest writing in the film and hence her performance suffers. Ball gives her little to work with, making the teens that surround her far more interesting. Bentley is terrific as Ricky and Suvari tackles the role of Angela with a fierce determination. It's sad, but by the end of the film, Angela proves to be a more intersting character than Jane. That is not the point the film was trying to make. Cooper is also wonderful in a role that borders on caricature as well. But like Bening, he found the beating heart behind his character.
The direction courtesy of Sam Mendes is truly outstanding work. He gives the film such a unique style and the necessary baggage to make "American Beauty" more than a soap opera for the big screen. Everything about the film is accomplished with such perfection. The list could go on and on. Conrad Hall's gorgeous cinematography, Thomas Newman's hauntingly beautiful score, etc., etc.
Well, I guess I let my love for this film get away from me again. The bad in "American Beauty": some lines do feel forced ("...not some horny geek boy whose going to spray his shorts every time I bring a girlfriend home from school. What a lame-o!") and as stated before, particular characters often border on caricature. However, the viewer hardly notices as they're being entranced by the film's terrific visuals (Angela lying in an ocean of rose petals? Come on? Tell me that didn't stick with you?) and its wonderful performances.
Of the ending, I can only say this: beautiful. For a film that is often cynical and vicious in its dissection of suburbia, the ending is a welcome, heart breaking, and ultimately life-affirming finish that has forever gone down as my favorite movie ending of all time. Ok, yeah, I am obnoxious about how much I love this film. Deal.