Kevin Spacey's voice over at the beginning of the film tells us how this story is going to end. He will die. He wonders what he would have done differently had he known that his life would be taken in a year. This film obviously chronicles the last year of his life as it passes before him in that brief second between life and death. I must say that if I had to live his miserable, boring suburban lifestyle I would probably go out and hang myself.
If you are an older adult, you will get more out of this movie than young folks will. Why? Well you will probably have experienced much of his life already. He has a child who holds him in contempt; a wife who is totally immersed in her job and a sexless life of boring monotony. At the beginning of the movie Kevin Spacey goes into the shower where he proceeds to masturbate and he says that this will be the highlight of his day. The sad reality is, that it is, the highlight of his day. His boring job is even about to come to an end due to downsizing.
This film is a dark and humourous take on contemporay life in suburban America. The title AMERICAN BEAUTY refers to one of three things according to one of the producers. It could allude to the roses in the film, the young character of Angela, who represents the perfect American beauty and it might also refer to the American dream and what we think beauty is in our daily life.
Kevin Spacey, plays Lester, a man, wandering aimlessly through life and now he faces a mid life crisis as he begins to lust after his daughter's best friend, Angela, played by Mena Suvari. His wife,Carolyn, is played beautifully, a little over the top, by Annette Benning, who is a control freak and a lacklustre real estate agent who obsesses over her roses, American Beauties, while puting off her husband. His daughter Jane, played by, Thora Birch, has very little regard for her father whom she feels cares little for her and only likes to stare at the girls she brings home. She feels herself a misfit which eventually leads her to dating the new young next door neighbour, Ricky Fitts,played by, Wes Bentley
The young man has many secrets which will not be divulgeds here, but, he does like to video tape everything. At one point they watch a video which he considers to be the best thing he has ever photographed. It is a plastic bag blowing and swirling in the wind around the leaf laden sidewalk. He discusses the beauty of the bags motion in such excellent terms that you can really feel what he is saying. I found myself wrapped up in the bag's movements. Ricky's father is a military man with strong views about everything. He run roughshod over his wife and son. We'll get back to him later.
Kevin Spacey's interaction with this Ricky leads him to change his life, to live it fully, the way he wants it to be, but he runs afoul of Colonel Fitts, Ricky's father and begins his fascination with his daughter's girl friend, Angela. Lester sees her as the women he has always wanted. He dreams about her awake and asleep and when he does the director uses rose pedals in very imaginative ways to cover different parts of her body when she is naked. By the way there is frontal nudity in this film.
The film quickly gets into misunderstandings by varoius characters and infidelity which leads to tragic consequences. Someone will kill Kevin Spacey's character. Who and why, will probably surprise you. The original scripted ending of this movie has the daughter and boyfriend being led away but that was changed, you will see why. AMERICAN BEAUTY is a film that you should see. Kevin Spacey shines in this film as he does in most films he is in. The overall filming and photography is excellent in this movie and makes it a joy to watch.
Earlier I said that adults will appreciate this film more but I think that young teens and adults will enjoy it as well. It would be a real shame if you missed this movie.