Hey, im Kat... hoping to be able to write lots of reviews about things which interest me in my lil w...
Hey, im Kat... hoping to be able to write lots of reviews about things which interest me in my lil world.
Member since:22.02.2004
Reviews:3
Members who trust:1
American Beauty is the story of a typical suburban family living in America, in what is seen as the 'happy normal family life'. This illusion is shattered when Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) decides to change his life, upon seeing his daughter’s friend Angela.
Lester's 'mid life crisis' results in dramatic changes to the whole household. Upon seeing Angela Lester's life changes, he begins to feel like a man again, shown by his new obsession with getting fit in an effort to impress Angela. His fantasies about Angela are depicted with rose petals portraying how he sees her as innocent and an object of beauty. Lester no longer will allow himself to be treated with resentment by his wife Carolyn and daughter Jane. Changes need to take place; Lester feels that he has not achieved anything in his life. The acting of Spacey adapts to every situation, from smoking dope with Ricky to finally raising his voice to Carolyn.
Carolyn (Annette Benning) is absorbed in her old world, trying to become the best in her profession. She sees her house and a family as a statement of their happiness to the world, if they appear orderly they prove to be a strong family unit (although not the case). With the changes in Lester come changes in Carolyn. She begins an affair with her boss Buddy Kane, proving to have been the most exciting part of her life for a long time. Carolyn does not even try to understand what Lester is going through, the cracks in their relationship driving them even farther apart.
Jane is the stereotypical rebellious teenager, treating her parents, especially Lester with disregard. She is not happy with herself or her body, at times aspiring to be like her friend Angela. Her relationship with Ricky enables her world to move to a new level, with new experiences and is shown the true beauty in the world.
New neighbours, the Fitts' move in adding more complexity to the situation. Colonel Fitts is completely homophobic and sees it as his job to discipline his son Ricky. However Ricky has his own sideline of dealing drugs, which is how he meets Lester. Ricky, first seen videotaping the Burnhams appears as an oddball but his true personality is discovered though his relationship with Jane. The Fitts’ are an intriguing sideline to the Burnhams, as they become intertwined and it becomes inevitable that there will be a confrontation.
American Beauty is an enrapturing film, which will make you want to continue watching. The way in which it has been shot and directed is spectacular, capturing the exact essence of what this film is about. American Beauty displays what happens when a person goes against what is considered the norm, it reflects how easily the mirage of American family life can be broken.
I truly enjoyed this film and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone. It leaves you thinking about the world and people in all sorts of ways; the beauty, fragility, love, appearance and lifestyle. Even if you don’t enjoy this film it's still worth watching just for the experience.
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Production Year: 2007 - Drama - Director: Mike Binder - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett, Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows, Donald Sutherland, Mike Binder
Production Year: 1998 - Drama - Director: Carl Franklyn, Carl Franklin - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Meryl Streep, William Hurt, Renee Zellweger, Tom Everett Scott, Nicky Katt, Lauren Graham
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
From its first gliding aerial shot of a generic suburban street,American Beautymoves with ... more
a mesmerising confidence and acuity epitomised by Kevin Spacey's calm narration. Spacey is Lester Burnham, a harried Everyman whose midlife awakening is the spine...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Look closer at the most talked about film of the year. A funny, moving and shocking ... more
journey through life in suburban America.Look closer at fortysomething ad man Lester Burnham and his status-seeking wife, Carolyn, as their marriage and lives slowly un...
From its first gliding aerial shot of a generic suburban street,American Beautymoves with ... more
a mesmerising confidence and acuity epitomised by Kevin Spacey's calm narration. Spacey is Lester Burnham, a harried Everyman whose midlife awakening is the spine...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Marking the feature film directorial debut of award-winning theatre director Sam Mendes ... more
this funny moving and shocking journey through life in suburban America follows the trials and tribulations of Lester (Kevin Spacey) and Carolyn (Annette Bening) ...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
![American Beauty [DVD] [2000]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78526734.jpg "American Beauty [DVD] [2000]")
Feb 22nd, 2004
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