Review of American Beauty (1999) by Christopher S — 07 May 2013

Thematically striking, darkly comedic and powerfully acted (especially from Kevin Spacey) and directed, American Beauty is complex in its ability to show characters that are symbols for American ideals and problems faced in the 90s.

The middle-class husband who desires and gains the ability to be impulsive, the suburban wife who wants to stand up and defend herself against male restraint. Also the war-hero who hates homosexuals and lives for structure, but who eventually succumbs to a breakdown that destroys himself.

And finally the confused teenager whose camera-handy boyfriend both find who they are out of pain in their own households. Sam Mendes creates American Beauty to be a poignant look at so much in America's culture, while still remaining engaging and powerful.