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Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening
Director: Sam Mendes
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Year: 1999
Rating: 5 / 5

Let me join the masses and throw this volley into the air: American Beauty is the best movie of 1999 thus far. I say this even though I approached this film with rather high expectations. After all, I did read numerous reviews touting this film's merits and, specifically, the performance of star Kevin Spacey. The film itself lives up to all of the advance billing, and Spacey's inspired performance is easily the best acting effort of the year. I have been a fan of this talented actor since seeing him banter with Denis Leary in The Ref, and I became even more enthralled after watching The Usual Suspects and Seven. That being said, Spacey's turn in American Beauty might be the best of the bunch, and it should earn him his second Academy Award.

Lester Burnham (Spacey) is a middle-age ad executive in a job that he finds tedious and a marriage that has lost all of its passion. After a day in which he is told to convince his employers not to fire him, Lester strikes up a conversation with his new next door neighbor, Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley). Inspired by the young man's laissez-faire attitude and confident demeanor, Lester decides to live life on his own terms. Tired of being disrespected at home and pushed around at work, Lester fights back, and, boy, does he ever! Within weeks, Lester has quit his job, blackmailed his former employers for tens of thousands of dollars, lusted after his daughter's temptress of a friend, and laid down the law in his home.

In the not-quite-ideal world of suburbia, Lester's insanity seems almost reasonable. His wife (Annette Bening) finds herself in a loveless marriage, stalking, both professionally and personally, fellow real estate salesperson Buddy Kane (Peter Gallagher). His daughter (Thora Birch) is having serious concerns about her body, not to mention fitting in at school. His neighbor (Chris Cooper) is a belligerent, ignorant, homophobic man whose actions invariably drive his family away. And, of course, his daughter's friend Angela (Mena Suvari) is turning her desire not be ordinary into an obsession.

While all the stars of this film shine their brightest, Kevin Spacey is the driving force. His Lester Burnham is a man who suddenly finds the courage to do what he has always wanted to do. Lester finds himself living in a prison of his own design, and decides to break free. As the movie progresses, Lester does all the things we wish we had the courage to do, and he lives the care-free lifestyle we all wish we could live. Spacey has the fire to portray Lester at his most despondent and vulnerable, while also showcasing his newfound rebirth and zest for life. Annette Bening (The American President), Peter Gallagher, and Chris Cooper (Lone Star) lend their varied talents to their more-heralded co-star, but it is a youngster that casts the second-largest shadow. Mena Suvari (American Pie) delivers a knockout performance as the luscious Angela, an effort which I did not truly appreciate until the film's fantastically hectic conclusion. American Beauty is a film not to be missed, a triumph so refreshing that it overwhelms the viewer even if he does not know why.

Cast:

Kevin Spacey..........	Lester Burnham
Annette Bening..........	Carolyn Burnham
Thora Birch..........	Jane Burnham
Wes Bentley..........	Ricky Fitts
Mena Suvari..........	Angela Hayes

Certification: Rated R for violence, language, and sexual situations.
Running Time: 121 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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