Such a great film. Beautiful writing and directing. Terrific cast all giving superb performances, anchored by Spacey’s Oscar-winning performance. Thanks for reacting to this overlooked gem.
American Beauty came at a pivotal moment in my life- went to see it in 2000 at a movie theatre with new friends I had just made at the time that went on to greatly influence my future. Great to see your reaction.
Me too, this changed my life, I saw it, related to it, left home at a young age, fled the suburbs and never went back. I promised myself I would have a life less ordinary, and so far it’s been a huge adventure.
Hes amazing in evetything i swear. He has this quiet intensity, that makes you feel like there are a million things going on in his head that he's not saying.
Fun Flower Fact: All the roses in this movie are actually called “American Beauty” roses, a hybrid created in France in 1875. 🌹 Fun Director Fact: This was Sam Mendes’ directorial debut, and he deservedly won the Oscar for Best Director for it. This film was beautifully shot and there are so many iconic frames in this film that are like Rockwellian snapshots of Americana suitable for a museum: The dinner table scene, exterior shots of the home, the rose-lined picket fence, the Marilyn Monroe-like Playboy shot. And, of course, the floating plastic bag shot. Extraordinary filmmaking. So many layers. So much depth. So good!
Fantastic film, growing up in the suburbs, (when this movie came out) it was extremely relatable, the family could have been my own, the neighbourhood, the values etc, seeing it again as an adult reminded me of why I left home at a young age, fled the suburbs, moved to the city, promising myself a life less ordinary. I never went back, I never looked back. This Movie changed my life.
Alan Ball wrote this script and he created Six Feet Under a couple of years afterwards which is a masterpiece of a series and it deserves a watch. It deals with a lot of serous stuff with a lot of humor thrown in and you can really see it’s written by the same guy.
The surprise at the end that made you say “Smack my ass and call me Sally” IS THR GREATEST MOMENT ON RU-vid EVER. You genuinely did not see that coming… 😀
That’s what acting is… action and reaction. In Terms do Endearment, Jack Nicholson grabbed Shirley MacLaine by the butt, which was unscripted. So she grabs his, unscripted. Jack never does the same thing twice in a row if there are more than one take. That’s great, honest technique!
The music/score is so powerful and hauntingly ethereal to my ear, I had to go look it up on YT: Thomas Newman, who also did the theme song for the cable tv series "6 Feet Under" (that show was created by Alan Ball-who wrote the screenplay for "American Beauty"). Thanks for reacting to this movie, I recall being impressed with its emotional & aesthetic impact around the time it came out.
Kevin Spacey is so talented and gorgeous in this film!! One day I was at a marching band judges clinic before the season began. The person speaking just drowning on, like “Bueller? Bueller? I look out the window and there was a plastic bag floating in the air and I began to smile and laugh inside. How perfect was that American Beauty moment was… and I got to live it. Amazing.
I love this film. I hate all the junk that ended up being attached to it. I also hate when the film gets reduced to just the Lester character's attraction to Angela. it is about so much more than that-obviously. but people immediately go there in terms of what triggers them. i love what your mother noticed about nobody ever closing the curtains! I've watched this movie so many times, and in a weird way I've never noticed this quite. and it's crazy I never noticed because it is integral to the plot, the open curtains, etc. amazing. great reaction. I liked and subscribed. thank you for going on the journey of this film. it has really beautiful things to say, if one can stay open and simply watch it without judging it as they watch. thanks for posting.
I think Alan Ball, who wrote the script, witnessed a plastic bag blowing about in the wind in real life and stood fascinated by it for 10 minutes and that was his starting point for this film....a work of genius
that is a true story about Alan Ball-interestingly-it was down at the old twin towers in the plaza between the buildings. Alan Ball was sitting down there outside and happened to see this plastic bag being blown around by the wind-and it was the catalyst for his writing this script. this was some years before 2001. I know it means nothing really, but it is an interesting point of fact given the fate of the twin towers. and I agree, this film is a work of genius.
I'm a very empathetic person but I don't judge the dad think about his life and the men he had to deal with so I don't judge people for saying the word faggot 15 yrs ago that word was still used quiet loosly
Grace did deserve the slap she is a brat the mom was wrong for taking out frustration but she was a deserving brat and Frankie's dad tho a homophobe it's kinda of do as I say not do as I do Frankie does need discipline and needs more respect for people things the quote on quote bad people are not bad there just hurt people
Lester's redemption was the decision to not to take advantage of the girl, even if she was willing. He finally realized the key to happy life was not to chase dreams, but to accept your life as it is, no matter what it is. The neighbour was closeted homo who never could accept that and never found redemption, so he lost his mind and killed Lester. The wife was cheating on him willingly and did not respect the sanctity of marriage wows, so her soul will burn in hell forever, and so will the "king of real estate", who broke the sanctity of marriage by getting involved.