American Beauty

Starring Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening

The American family as depicted by movies, television and books over the past century has gone through an unnecessary amount of permutations and image makeovers. We no longer know who we are; that which has typified us now exists as myth. Unfortunately, the only way to awake oneself from this "American dream" is to have a mid-life crisis. It is that very self-consciousness that permits one's self-examination in an objective manner; it shatters the rose-tinted glasses, and Lester Burnam just woke up.

Lester Burnam (played by Kevin Spacey) has sunk into depression. He doesn't have the best marriage and has lost his connection to his daughter. He also becomes infatuated with his daughter's friend. His wife Carolyn (played by Annette Bening) is a phony who doesn't appreciate life. She believes that a professional image should be used to keep emotions bottled up. Their daughter Jane is having an adolescent identity crisis.

Things begin to change when the Burnams get new neighbors. The Fitts are not the average family either, but they don't live with the facade of the Burnams. Colonel Fitts is a homophobic military man. His wife is an unappreciated shell of a former self. Their son Ricky (played by Wes Bentley) is trying to live normally after being institutionalized by his parents.

Once Lester meets Ricky his life turns around. Lester no longer feels that he should conform to what society or his family wants of him. He wants to truly enjoy life, subject only to his desires, not someone else's restrictions. Trouble is impending.

Kevin Spacey takes a juicy role and stretches his character to the seams, infusing it with true, bitter sincerity as he laughs at his life. It is his best on-screen performance to date. His role in The Usual Suspects was cool, and his role in LA Confidential was charming, but Lester Burnam lights up the screen. The minute details that Spacey uses are precisely what makes him likeable. His facial expressions make him more endearing. Annette Bening comically overacts in a very effective performance on her part. Perhaps it was a bit over the top, but certainly not for someone experiencing a nervous breakdown. The surprise of the film is Wes Bentley's performance as Ricky Fitts. He exhibits a wry smile with every sentence, perhaps as a mark left from the mental hospital, or perhaps due to his cynical view on life. It marks his performance so much that it seems to give him assurance, confidence, and a clarity which the other characters lack.

The direction of the film is quite effective. Sam Mendes has made the shift from directing in Broadway to the motion picture screen with ease. It's too early to tell his style, though the standout drama in this film is not the dramatic monologues, but rather the "moments". Each of the characters get to have their own vignettes to showcase their eccentricities with memorable lines, and though this can be attributed perhaps to Alan Ball's great script, it takes a competent fellow to hit the mark each time.

The message of the film is quite clear - reexamine your life and make the changes that you want. You'll be amazed at the results and at how easily you can soon touch others. That said, it seems practically impossible for all of these characters to suddenly hit the extremes of their personalities. The ridiculousness of the situation is clearly what makes Spacey so cynical in the film. For anyone to reach their edge would take more than mere coincidence would allow. It raises the question of whether Americans are really like this, which is a provoking issue. The film is clearly an Oscar contender and definitely one of the best dramas of the year.