“American Beauty” is a 1999 American drama film directed by Sam Mendes and written by Alan Ball. The film stars Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, and Chris Cooper. It has a runtime of 122 minutes and explores the themes of beauty, happiness, and the American Dream.
Synopsis:
“American Beauty” follows the story of Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), a middle-aged man living a seemingly perfect life with his wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) and teenage daughter Jane (Thora Birch). However, Lester is deeply unhappy with his life and decides to change things by quitting his job, working out, and smoking marijuana. As he begins to live life on his own terms, he becomes obsessed with Jane’s friend Angela (Mena Suvari), a beautiful cheerleader. The film also explores the lives of their neighbors, including the homophobic Colonel Fitts (Chris Cooper) and his troubled son Ricky (Wes Bentley).
Review:
“American Beauty” is a powerful and thought-provoking film that explores the dark underbelly of the American Dream. The film’s characters are complex and flawed, and the performances are outstanding across the board, particularly Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening. The film’s themes of beauty, desire, and happiness are explored with a subtle touch, and the cinematography and score are both beautiful and haunting. The film’s ending is both shocking and cathartic, leaving a lasting impact on the viewer.
Awards:
“American Beauty” was a critical and commercial success, winning five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Kevin Spacey), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. The film also won three Golden Globe Awards and numerous other awards and nominations. The film is widely regarded as one of the best films of the 1990s and has been listed among the top American films of all time by various critics and publications.
| Directed by | Sam Mendes |
|---|---|
| Written by | Alan Ball |
| Produced by | Bruce Cohen Dan Jinks |
| Starring | Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Allison Janney, Peter Gallagher, Chris Cooper, |
| Cinematography | Conrad L. Hall |
| Edited by | Tariq Anwar Christopher Greenbury |
| Music by | Thomas Newman |
| Production company |
Jinks/Cohen Company |
| Distributed by | DreamWorks Pictures |
| Release dates | September 8, 1999 (Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre) September 15, 1999 (United States) |
| Running time | 122 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $15 million |
| Box office | $356.3 million |