1999 Best Picture
Premiered September 8, 1999 in Los Angeles
Budget $15 Million
Gross $130 Million
American Beauty is great at accomplishing its goal: to be a film that obscene, creepy, disturbing and gross. It scores an A+ in each of those categories. I remember that many spoke out against the movie went it came out calling it child pornography.
All of that aside, it is actually a very hopeless movie. All of the characters are searching for fulfillment, purpose and happiness. They look for it in sex, drugs, a successful career and even in taking a life. It ends poorly because the characters realize that those things don't bring happiness. Only God fills that void and no one in the movie even explores in that direction.
We are also not fans of movies that remind us of other movies. This one reminded us of the sad family dynamics of Ordinary People, the fascination on sex contained in Terms of Endearment and the creepiness of Gigi. The story could have been more original.
Callie
Favorite: I really didn't have a favorite part of the movie.
Least Favorite: I hated that the movie was so sexual.
Joel
Favorite: The story did engage me enough to want to see what happens to Lester.
Least Favorite: The movie was super creepy.
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