Product ReviewsAmerican Beauty (DVD, 2000, Limited Edition Packaging Awards Edition Widescreen)

American Beauty Is Disturbing

Kevin Spacey won an Oscar for his portrayal of Lester Burnham, father and husband lost in this day and age (1999). He is bored at work, his wife does not fulfill his needs, and his daughter is at the age where she is ashamed of her parents. So what does he do? He fantasizes having an affair with his daughter's best friend (Mena Suvari). He quits his job, starts working out in the basement, smokes pot--expensive marijuana, and buys a sports car. He starts working at a Mc Donald's type fast food joint. He is certainly having a male menopause.

In the meantime, his wife Carolyn Burnham, played by Annette Bening (in an Oscar nominated role as Best Actress), is having her own meltdown. She is a frustrated realtor, who eventually has an affair with a top realtor (Peter Gallagher). She is outraged at her husband's behavior and starts practicing shooting a gun. And when her husband catches her locked in a kiss with this man, she really gets desperate. She may be on her way home to kill Lester.

Their next door neighbor is Chris Cooper("Lonesome Dove" and "Adaptation"), a really screwed up retired Marine Colonel Fitts, who dominates his wife (Allison Janney from "The Hours") and son Ricky (played by Wes Bentley). In an unusual role for Chris Cooper, we see him doing drug testing of his son, going ballistic when Ricky takes an item out of his locked up collection of memorabilia, and physically fighting and beating his son for practically no reason. In the meantime, Mrs. Fitts is like a Stepford wife and just sits all day in a daze; she must be on tranquilizers to live with such a man.

The only happy characters in the neighborhood are the male homosexual couple
(Scott Bakula and Sam Robards ), who happily jog and deliver welcome baskets to new neighbors. The movie does not dwell in their lives much.

This movie is supposed to be funny but it is a sad commentary on the way that some of us live today. Even couples can be detached from each other--each trying to make their own way to the top in the world. Hatred of gay people, domestic violence, teenagers and parents on drugs, promiscuous sex, an almost statutory rape, child abuse--all are subjects of this movie.

I will say though, that the funniest scene is when Lester catches his wife while working at Mr. Smiley's fast food joint. She and her lover come through the drive in and he hears her voice. When she drives to the pick-up window, he greets them with "Welcome to Mr. Smiley's. Would you like a Cheese and Pot Pie on a stick? Would you like Mr. Smiley sauce with that?"

This movie won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Sam Mendez), Best Cinematography, and Best Actor (Spacey). It has won acclaim from the Writers Guild, the Directors Guild, and was on almost every critic's top 10 list of movies for that year.

The DVD has almost 3 additional hours of video explaining the movie. This is obviously a movie to see, but whether you are entertained or not is up to you and your ability to like and dislike characters.Read full review...

Suburbia Dissected

This is a fantastic movie that I bought so I could share with other film buffs. Don't get hung up on the terrible dance team costumes and bad makeup of the teenagers everywhere and focus on the excellent acting. The storyline draws you in and makes you contemplate your own life and how others see you. The story is amazingly accurate with so many intricate details like the bad outfits and makeup that if the camera was a little shaky, you'd think you were watching an actual family at a crisis point. Again, great movie, that I'd recommend to anybody who truly appreciates movies and can take it all in.Read full review...

American Beauty( DVD, 2000, Awards Edition, Widescreen)

***MINIMAL SPOILERS***

This movie nearly accomplished a feat that only three movies have claimed to date: the Grand Slam of the Oscars. The Five ( 5) categories to qualify of winning the Grand Slam of the Oscars are:

1) Best Picture

2) Best Actor( Leading Role)

3) Best Actress ( Leading Role)

4) Best Director

5) Best Screenplay.

The one award that American Beauty did not win was Best Actress.

A fifth Oscar was awarded to Conrad W. Hall as Best Cinematographer.

Lester( Kevin Spacey) and Carolyn Burnham( Annette Benning) seem to be the prototypical Yuppie Eastern Atlantic family, until we look much closer. Lester loses his job, now at Carolyn's mercies. Lester is going through mid-life crisis, as evidenced by his inappropriate infatuation with his daughter Jane's( Thora Birch) high school friend, temptress Mena Suvari).

Meanwhile, the Fitts family moves in next door, and Jane starts a relationship with the son, Rickey Fitts ( Wes Bentley). Lester and Rickey become friends as well, but this does not settle well with Col. Frank Fitts( Chris Cooper), Rickey's father.

This movie holds up in every aspect.Read full review...

Good Enough to Watch

This movie is probably a hit-or-miss thing with most people since it has very few "flashy" features to it. It is a very sad look at a trapped suburban family, so if you're into that then you will enjoy. If you want a more uplifting experience, I suggest you still get this movie so that you can understand and more thoroughly enjoy all of the pop-cultural references to it. There are some very quotable and memorable parts of this movie that when presented in any given crowd can make you seem like either a genius or a film-buff, which are both good things to appear to be sometimes.Read full review...

I owned this video before purchasing it. Great story line.

Great movie. Keven Spacey is wonderful as an actor in any movie. The story line is wonderful. It touches upon subject matter that appeals to young audiences. It is reality, at its very best. Wish the main character survived though!!!!Read full review...

Haunting and suspenseful

An Oscar-winning film, American Beauty is a wonderfully acted movie depicting the mid-life crisis of middle class working man (Kevin Spacey). The film is beautiful to watch, a haunting film in many ways ... not only is the story of the man, but also those around him. The film builds on each scene ... the wife who is angry, the husband who is sad, the teenage girl seeking his attention, a frustrated ex-military neighbor ... until it all climaxes with a gunshot ... leaving one person dead.Read full review...

One of the best movies!

This movie is a classic. I think that this movie is probably one of the best movies to ever win an Academy Award. The only thing that seemed unbelievable to me is the fact that Thora Birch's character was a cheerleader. It didn't really fit her personality, but I guess stranger things have happened. I love the fact that this movie displays the inner struggles of "normal" people in a darkly humorous way. I would recommend this movie to anyone.Read full review...

One of the dumbest, ugliest movies ever

One of the most disgusting, deprived, filthy movies that I have ever seen. Apparently the makers of this debacle wants the public to believe that dropping out, drug use, filthy language, perversion, masturbation, and non-stop sex fantasies are all subjects to be admired. I bought this as part of a three award winning movie set....this one was just filthy and unwatchable....I did not finish the movie. I was not entertained. I did not admire it in any way. The actors and director(and anyone else involved with this) should be very embarrassed.Read full review...

Verified purchase: No

American Beauty starring Kevin Spacey & Annette Bening

the deep inner message, which is clearly pronounced at this films end, makes the entire movie worth while. surprising as it might seem with the apparent debauchery throughout, the final message is brilliant. the director seems to have brought the best out of each actor to make their characters come alive and leave you with a connection rarely found in todays film industry. it is no wonder this has accumulated so much acclaim and awards. and, likely, this will reach classic status in the coming years as more generations have a chance to relate to it. my recommendation is unnecessary, but I give it high points. try to count how many scenes you can find with an American Beauty Rose or even just one petal?Read full review...

many of us has deffernt thoughts and never know what they our untel its to late

watch out on your tempting world you have love can be every where but love is not sex

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: second.sale