American Beauty

In case you don’t know, this is a beloved and treasured film for many. From those CGI rose petals to the 5 Oscars (including writing, best picture, and acting for Kevin Spacey), if it’s not being taught at writing workshops for its natural progression and deep characters, then it’s probably been suggested to you by some friend, colleague, or troll under a bridge. But in case you don’t know, I’m not many people.

            The movie starts off on a terrible foot. The producers and directors tried a bunch of different scenes to start the film off, and eventually they decided on a scene that happens much later in the film; however, it provides enough information to spark a red flag in your mind, but it’s cut short before the scene finishes—leading you to believe the movie will come to a certain outcome. It tries to ground the audience in this airy and dreamlike film into paying attention to this manufactured tension. Then again, maybe I’m just picky. That’s certainly another possibility.

            So let’s move on. What is American Beauty? Kevin Spacey plays a father who suffers a midlife crisis of sorts where he despises his fake wife, hates his dead-end job where he might be fired, and he has lost touch with the daughter that he used to be so close to. Then he meets his high school daughter’s best friend (American Pie actress Mena Suvari), and suddenly he has a goal to work towards. Oh, and he also has a couple fantasies about this girl. Known to be iconic? Yes. Did I actually care for them? No. It felt like the director loved these sequences, but he had no idea where to put them, so he just stuck them in whenever there was a lull in the plot. Side note—the movie poster is of some random model’s belly, not Mena Suvari.

            Speaking of the director, Sam Mendes was another person to win an Oscar for his film. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s directed the last 2 Bond films. And he has some good moments, but it also felt like there were just so many cliched director moves in there that I grew tired of. Too many moments of characters looking into mirrors to reflect upon what kind of person they have become. I guess since this was his film debut, I’ll give him a pass. After all, he did give us Skyfall.

            What many people probably don’t realize about this film is how much of a role the neighbors play. There’s a creepy high school guy who video tapes everybody—and he would later go on to have a crazy beard as the gamemaker of The Hunger Games. Boy, what a transition Wes Bentley made. At first he just creeps out Kevin’s daughter and her best friend; but slowly, due to his relentlessness and soft nature and serial killer vibes, Thora Birch (the daughter) ends up finding him sweet and meaningful and unlike any other boy.

            Oh but we’re not through discussing these neighbors yet. Wes Bentley acts as the driving force behind encouraging Kevin Spacey to make these radical changes in his lifestyle. He acts as the carefree, free-spirited young adventurer who appears to be the only character in the film that truly enjoys life. I think it’s supposed to come across as profound, but it still just feels a lift off and creepy. But please, enjoy the pot smoking scenes between Kevin and Wes. And even though there is a divide between Kevin and his daughter, the bigger contrast comes from Wes and super strict Colonel father that believes Wes makes his money through working hard at jobs. Granted, there are some interesting surprises with the Colonel, but the characters feel too different in their personalities, too scripted. But do you want to know what threw me off the most? One of the most -ahem- profound scenes is when Wes shows Kevin’s daughter some of the stuff he has filmed over the years. This includes following a plastic bag as it drifts through the wind. And I know it’s not the movie’s fault, but while Wes is giving his huge monologue, all I could think about was Katy Perry’s “Firework.”

            I have essentially covered all the bases except for the writing. This film is basically a basis for screenwriting basics in plot, structure, and characterization. And I can honestly respect how people feel that way. It just didn’t work for me. With the characters so different from one another, this film took me more to a made-up world than something more believable, realistic, and impactful. Kevin Spacey’s progression is iconic, but his character largely evolves after his talks with creepy high schooler Wes, and that just didn’t fly in my books (not sure if that’s an actual phrase). Annette Bening plays the realtor wife, and people love the scenes of her screaming after her failure to close a real estate deal. But she played it too big. I will give her credit for one scene in particular near the end, but I can’t say anything due to company policy on spoilers. Ultimately, a lot of what I didn’t care for are actually the most iconic moments in the film. There’s plenty to discuss about this movie, so if nothing else, I can give it credit for being a conversation starter.