Lester Burnham, played faultlessly by Kevin Spacey, who also narrates throughout, is just an average middle aged guy who where’s the suit and goes to the office everyday... Not quite, Lester is a man going through a mid-life crisis that he handles like an adolescence who desperately hates his job and fantasizes about his daughters friend, Angela. He feels the time is right to make some big changes in his life, like switching the office job for a fast food joint and decides to take up weights to improve his appearance that might make the daughters friend notice him. Carolyn is the self-centered materialistic wife who believes the world has not realized her full potential. The friction between these two characters is great with a deep seated sarcastic hate for each other.

The performances are terrific with Spacey picking up Best Actor and so is the directional take on the movie from Sam Mendes who before this only directed theatre. This is a biting comedy and also a brutally honest film that shows the weaknesses and imperfections of a family that appear normal from the outside but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Highly recommended.

The films budget came in at $15 million but managed to take $230 million at the box-offices.

There is a region 1 & 2 DVD available with commentary from Sam Mendes and Alan Ball.

American Beauty (1999)

5/5

Bananas

Starring

Kevin Spacey                    (Lester Burnham)

Annette Bening                  (Carolyn Burnham)

Thora Birch                            (Jane Burnham)

Wes Bentley                               (Ricky Fitts)

Chris Cooper                       (Col. Frank Fitts)

Mena Suvari                            (Angela Hayes)                                        

USA  Color   2 hr  2 mins           Comedy / Drama

Director

Sam Mendes

Written

Alan Ball

Cinematography

Conrad Hall

Music

Thomas Newman

Editor

Tariq Anwar & Christopher Greenbury

American Beauty Trailer Below

Release date :  September 15. 1999