American Beauty (Widescreen Edition)

American Beauty (Widescreen Edition)
by Sam Mendes

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DVD details

Actor: Annette Bening, Chris Cooper, Peter Gallagher, Sam Robards, Thora Birch
Director: Sam Mendes
Brand: PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Cinematographer: Conrad L. Hall
Composer: Thomas Newman
Editor: Christopher Greenbury
Editor: Tariq Anwar
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, NTSC, Special Edition, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.35:1
Running Time: 122 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2000-10-24
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Model: 85382
Studio: Dreamworks Video

DVD Reviews of American Beauty (Widescreen Edition)

DVD Review: Still Hollywood, but Enjoyable
Summary: 4 Stars

American Beauty kind of reminds me of Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica. Althought not as split evenly, and it definitely has less detractors, American Beauty is thought as either deep, provocative, and wickedly funny, or a grating, unrealistic, fake portrayal of family life, that plays out like a sitcom. Now, I am not one who automatically plays the Ghandi, being a neutral leader in the middle, somewhat frowning at both, but I'm really torn on this movie. It just does so many things right, but at the same time, does a lot of things wrong as well.

First off, the acting in this movie is terrific. Kevin Spacey deserved whatever awards he got for best actor. Sometimes funny, emotional, perverted, sick, frightening, angry, and sometimes even all at once, his talent definitely shows. Chris Cooper plays the sadistic Colonial Fitts, and he does a great job showing how insane and mean he can be. The first time he beats the crap out of his son, I was pretty shaken up (note maybe it comes from having a father similar to him some ways). Those actors impressed me more than the others, although everyone else does fine jobs as well. And really, I give props to all the actors for kissing one another (especially Chris Cooper and Kevin Spacey). Remember, they have to be convincing with their kisses (and probably had to it more than once!). It's sometimes just fun to watch for the acting alone, even if I don't exactly agree with some of the story.

However, while the plot is not too bad, the movie has a big tendency to fall into the pretentious. I mean, while sometimes I ACTUALLY DO feel there is so much beauty in the world (especially in nature), I do not think a plastic bag is a thing of beauty. The bag metaphor is just laughable. I agree that the slogan "Look Closer" is arrogrant as ______, too. If you don't get it, you aren't deep enough, and you need to look closer or else your a fool. Give me a _________ break. That is just ridicolous. The characters on here really aren't as profound or realistic as you think, pretty Hollywood, and embody some stereotypes. The closeted homosexual, really, who didn't see that one coming?

Still though, while not deep, and definitely not a realstic portrayel of Suburan life really (I don't buy it, besides, how would the screewriter's know, did they study the suburbia beyond their own home? Probably not). The characters still are likeable, if a bit unrealistic. The plot is fine, so leave it alone.

Don't believe the hype on this one for the most part, but I still reccomend watching it for sure. I still think that if you watch it without expecting yourself go into introspection (yeah right), you will enjoy it. You may love it, you may hate it, but you should definitely watch it.

Also, the Boston Celtics logo rip-off is probably the worst thing I have ever seen in my life. Give me a break. Can you at least rip the logo off of the Sacramento Kings or the Los Angeles Clippers, or even the Utah Jazz (Lakers 4-0 in round one!)? Celtics deserve more respect than that (I'm a Lakers fan, but respect Boston anyway).

B-

DVD Review: Seems like the perfect life. But look a little closer...
Summary: 4 Stars

American Beauty (1999) Lester and Carolyn Burnham seem to have it all: a nice house, two well-paid jobs, a couple of expensive cars, and a beautiful daughter. But as is so often true in these modern times, a lot of dysfunction hides behind the mask of happy normalcy.
In truth, Lester (Kevin Spacey) is going middle age crazy, pining for his carefree youth and making goo-goo eyes at his daughter's Lolita-like best friend. Carolyn (Annette Bening) has discovered that "having it all" isn't nearly enough; she throws herself into her real estate job to try to compensate. And the daughter is going through that economy sized variety pack of teen angst, ranging from insecurity to parent loathing. Add in a set of new next door neighbors with their own problems (Dad's a bigoted ex-Marine; Mom's a zoned out space case, and son is a fairly creepy video voyeur); stir them all together well, and you have the perfect recipe for suburban disaster.
Director Sam Mendes, writer Alan Bell, and especially the actors make the most of this dramatic black comedy. The mix is perfectly realized, with laugh out loud scenes that nonetheless have a sense of tragedy and doom about them.
Writer Ball has a background in sitcoms, so it's no surprise that ther is a lot of sharp tongued verbal byplay. More surprising is how well a thirty-four year old director can guide his actors through the minefield of fortysomething neuroses. But then, you don't hire actors like Spacey and Bening because they'll do a mean karaoke at the wrap party. Spacey is as excellent as he is expected to be, and he is matched scene for scene by the slightly underrated Bening. The rest of the cast lend fine support, with newcomer Wes Bentley standing out.
This is a quirky, somewhat unusual film, with a few stylized fantasy scenes that add to the flavor overall. If you enjoy such productions, this is definitely a good choice to sink your teeth into. Also with Peter Gallagher (Summer Lovers) and Chris Cooper (Lone Star).

DVD Review: Perfect ain't so perfect.
Summary: 5 Stars

Lester (Kevin Spacey) is middle aged and living what on the outside looks like a perfect life. Big house in a nice neighborhood, 2 cars, pretty wife and daughter, and a good job. But on the inside, he's miserable. His job sucks and he has to answer to a younger boss that hasn't even been there a few months. His wife is cold `b' and doesn't even want to have sex with him. His daughter hates him for reasons unknown. And he just really doesn't even like himself that much either. Then one day, he goes to a basketball game with his wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) to watch his daughter Jane (Thora Birch) do her performance in her cheerleading squad. That day changes his life on the spot. He sees Angela (Mena Suvari), Jane's friend, out on the court also, and he realizes his life is in a rut and he wants to be free from it. He quits his job and starts to work out again (mainly to get Angela's attention). He sells his car to get the car of his dreams. And he starts to smoke pot.

Luckily his new next door neighbor, Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley) is a pot dealer. Not only a pot dealer but a weird documentarian that goes to school with Jane. Ricky's dad is a tough father who is also a homophobic Colonel in the marine corp. He loves his son, but sure doesn't know how to show it correctly. Though Ricky and Jane start to like each other, the interactions between Ricky and Lester leave the dad to wondering what is really going on between the two.

Carolyn, though a coldhearted `B', used to not be what she is today. She was once a fun loving free spirited girl, but Lester has no clue where that girl went. She's so wrapped up in her real estate business she doesn't even think of Lester anymore. Her arch nemesis in the biz is Buddy Kane, and even though she tries her best to beat the man, nothing works and it makes her incredibly stressed out. As Lester is trying to work out his mid-life crisis, his wife Carolyn is working out her stress in a much different way.

American Beauty is such a great movie. The way it looks into the soul of the normal suburbanite family is really funny and great. Nothing is perfect no matter how it looks. Somedays I really feel like Lester even though I'm not married or have kids. Where I'm just stuck doing the same thing every day and then `BAM', I go a little crazy and break out of that shell. I've even quit my job before because of this. Thank God to, because now I'm much happier. Though you can't help but feel bad for Lester. At least I do. He did so much to support his family, to have them only hate him in the end. Sure he's not always there for his daughter, but that's no reason to be hated. She actually joked about killing him. Seriously... what the heck. Her life could be a million times worse. And his wife, ugh, I'm not even going to go into it. How a woman could do what she does to him is ridiculous. And even though Ricky Fitts is friggin crazy, he's still a cool character. I don't buy into that whole `deep' and `emo' stuff he says about floating bags and dead people/animals, but how he's so blunt about things makes me really like that character.

In the end, I would definitely watch this movie. Such a great story, and such a sad ending.

P.S. - I really hope Angela was 18.

DVD Review: A MIDDLE-AMERICAN COCKTAIL
Summary: 5 Stars

Although AMERICAN BEAUTY boasts one of the finest casts in recent memory, and Sam Mendes direction was flawless in this superb film about disparate, disjointed mid-America, Alan Ball's script is the true star here. The dialogue is so crisp, and ascerbic that at times it's hard to realize how 'human' and incredibly moving some of the scenes were, because only a moment before you were laughing at the absurdly, seemingly irrelevant incongruities in one dysfunctional character, or another , or perhaps the edginess of the previous satirical situation, and though this was not as disturbing as David Lynch's vision of suburbia ( BLUE VELVET ), it was much more moving. This movie should be in any serious film collection.

DVD Review: Extarordinary
Summary: 5 Stars

American Beauty is a film for which "extraordinary" is a weak description. It deals with so many issues of life for people of many ages.

It teaches us that life is full of beauty in so many forms, even the sexually repressed gay, yet homophobic, U.S. Marine Colonel, who in his rage somehow seems beautiful, too. It is so because he is so much alive. Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) must become alive to see that there is "so much beauty in the world," and, once Lester is alive again, he dies.

Annette Bening's character is still becoming alive, but not completely yet, when the film ends.

The young man who is always filming people leaves his family which he must, yet still loving his angry father. Will the young man's mother be the next person to become alive again?

We most likely will never know the answer to that question.

Description of American Beauty (Widescreen Edition)

Marking the feature film directorial debut of award-winning theatre director Sam Mendes this funny moving and shocking journey through life in suburban America follows the trials and tribulations of Lester (Kevin Spacey) and Carolyn (Annette Bening) an upper-middle class couple whose marriage - and lives - are slowly unraveling. Lester s wife hates him his daughter Jane regards him with contempt and his boss is positioning him for the ax. So Lester decides to make a few changes in his life; the freer he gets the happier he gets which is even more maddening to his wife and daughter. But Lester is about to learn that the ultimate freedom comes at the ultimate price. Winner of five Academy Awards: Best Picture Director Actor Screenplay and Cinematography.System Requirements:Starring: Kevin Spacey Annette Bening Thora Birch Chris Cooper Peter Gallagher Mena Suvari and Wes Bentley. Directed By: Sam Mendes. Running Time: 122 Min. Color. This film is presented in "Widescreen" format. Copyright 2000 Universal Distribution Corp.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre:?DRAMA Rating:?R UPC:?667068538229 Manufacturer No:?65382

From its first gliding aerial shot of a generic suburban street, American Beauty moves with a mesmerizing confidence and acuity epitomized by Kevin Spacey's calm narration. Spacey is Lester Burnham, a harried Everyman whose midlife awakening is the spine of the story, and his very first lines hook us with their teasing fatalism--like Sunset Boulevard's Joe Gillis, Burnham tells us his story from beyond the grave.

It's an audacious start for a film that justifies that audacity. Weaving social satire, domestic tragedy, and whodunit into a single package, Alan Ball's first theatrical script dares to blur generic lines and keep us off balance, winking seamlessly from dark, scabrous comedy to deeply moving drama. The Burnham family joins the cinematic short list of great dysfunctional American families, as Lester is pitted against his manic, materialistic realtor wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening, making the most of a mostly unsympathetic role) and his sullen, contemptuous teenaged daughter, Jane (Thora Birch, utterly convincing in her edgy balance of self-absorption and wistful longing). Into their lives come two catalytic outsiders. A young cheerleader (Mena Suvari) jolts Lester into a sexual epiphany that blooms into a second adolescence. And an eerily calm young neighbor (Wes Bentley) transforms both Lester and Jane with his canny influence.

Credit another big-screen newcomer, English theatrical director Sam Mendes, with expertly juggling these potentially disjunctive elements into a superb ensemble piece that achieves a stylized pace without lapsing into transparent self-indulgence. Mendes has shrewdly insured his success with a solid crew of stage veterans, yet he's also made an inspired discovery in Bentley, whose Ricky Fitts becomes a fulcrum for both plot and theme. Cinematographer Conrad Hall's sumptuous visual design further elevates the film, infusing the beige interiors of the Burnhams' lives with vivid bursts of deep crimson, the color of roses--and of blood. --Sam Sutherland

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