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Home > DVDs > Drama > Spacey, Kevin Drama > American Beauty (DVD)
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131 Reviews

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In 1999, three films all sharing a similar principle - The Matrix, Fight Club and American Beauty - literally changed people's perception of the world. American Beauty’s Lester Burnham hates his... more

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for American Beauty (DVD)

Rating Summary based on 131 reviews

  • 5 Stars
    		90
  • 4 Stars
    		27
  • 3 Stars
    		4
  • 2 Stars
    		7
  • 1 Star
    		3

Detailed rating

  • Characters / Performances
  • Did you enjoy it?
  • How does it compare to others by the same director?
  • How does it compare to similar films?
  • Soundtrack
  		• 4.6
  		• 4.5
  		• 2.4
  		• 4.1
  		• 3.9
  • 54 of 54 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of j_mcb

    j_mcb

    5 Stars Any closer I'd be licking the screen... 28/05/2004
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Spacey, Mendes, rose petals

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Steven Spielberg

    “American Beauty” dominated the 1999 Academy Awards, sweeping the board of biggies picking up the acclaimed Best Picture award, Best Actor, Best Director, Cinematography and Writing. It was certainly worthy of such honour, being one of the most original films I have seen in a long time, breaking the mould is not the cliché. The film is darkly hilarious; a modern satire taking a slap at white-picket-fence suburbia and America’s bold and boasted “American dream” Ironically, the phrase is more suited as an “American Socially Dysfunctional Nightmare”... It’s not often I’ll watch a film and find ... more
  • 66 of 66 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of WormThatTurned

    Level 6 WormThatTurned

    Member since 31/08/2002

    Reviews written: 153

    5 Stars Who Killed Lester Burnham ? Review with images 21/10/2004
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Cast/ Visuals/Script/Ending

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Different from book

    AMERICAN BEAUTY Certificate; 18 (Sexuality, language, violence and drugs) Duration; 122 minutes. Direction; Sam Mendes. Cast; Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Chris Cooper, Peter Gallagher, Allison Janney, Scott Bakula. The ‘American Beauty’ of the title refers to the beauty of the American dream. Living in a beautiful home surrounded by beautiful gardens with a beautiful white picket fence in a beautiful neighbourhood. Then there’s the beautiful wife and the beautiful daughter. The rituals that are involved keeping up these beautiful ... more
  • 56 of 56 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of allmodcons

    allmodcons

    5 Stars Looking Closer 17/08/2007
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages One of my favourites

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Nothing worth mentioning

    Released in 1999, Sam Mendes’ American Beauty is one of my favourite films, and achieved the rare double of receiving both critical and commercial acclaim. A big screen debut for both director Mendes and writer Alan Ball, it was nominated for eight Oscars, and won five. It’s a film of some depth, taking an everyday suburban existence and examining its appearances and relationships in terms of (amongst other things) personal fulfilment, family ties, the concepts of beauty and freedom. The tag line of the film was ‘look closer’ – and guided by Mendes’ skilled direction, you do. Lester and ... more
  • 35 of 35 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of jaygami1986

    Level 5 jaygami1986

    Member since 31/07/2006

    Reviews written: 113

    5 Stars American Beauty 08/02/2008
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Read opp

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Read opp

    Im actually going to enjoy writing this next review, partly because ive probably seen the film a hundred plus times, and yet have never got board of its quality. This review is on the academy award winning American Beauty, starring Kevin Spacey. Now im actually a really big Spacey fan, some of his work including The Usual Suspects and K PAX have been some of his best work. He has the knack of just making you admire what ever character he plays, he has a sort of presence that makes you feel this film is going to be powerful. He has a humorous side, he can play a dark side you name it, I even ... more
  • 44 of 44 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of dave27

    Level 7 dave27

    Member since 24/09/2000

    Reviews written: 989

    5 Stars Two old bulls 12/08/2001
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Spacey, the story, oh and everything

    Disadvantages Disadvantages None

    There are two bulls, a young one and an old one, stood chewing the cud on top of a hill. They are surveying all before them and gaze down into the valley below them, where all the best examples of bovine beauty are capering before them. The young bull turns to the old one and whispers, "Hey, old timer, let's run down this hill and give them young chickens a good seeing to." The old bull considers slowly and speaks without turning his head, "NO, NO, NO, young 'un, let's stroll down slowly and give THEM ALL A DAMN GOOD SEEING TO...." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Errmmm, dave27, what's that ... more

Product information

for American Beauty (DVD)

Product Details

Actor(s) Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Wes Bentley, Thora Birch, Mena Suvari, Alison Janney, Peter Gallagher, Chris Cooper, Scott Bakula, Sam Roberts, Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Wes Bentley, Thora Birch, Mena Suvari, Alison Janney, Peter Gallagher, Chris Cooper, Scott Bakula, Sam Roberts
Director(s) Sam Mendes, Sam Mendes
Genre Drama - Comedy
Classification 18 years and over
Production Year 1999

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