Review of American Beauty (1999) by Kyle G — 16 Sep 2014

This film is dreadfully mawkish. The "beauty" speech is one of the most cringe-worthy I have ever heard from a supposedly good movie. Additionally the plastic bag-watching scene is a joke. I found the humor boring and conventional and was not charmed by its almost desperate attempts at appealing to both parties, young and old (which was in all honestly a brilliant idea).

I do not dislike the film because Lester is a "pedophile;" no, plenty of middle-aged men secretly or openly find high school girls attractive. Besides, a pedophile by definition has an attraction to preteens.

I digress. Anyway, this is a film far too pretentious for its own good, and hits you on the head with its message.