American Beauty

1999 • 121 minutes

À propos de ce film

Noted theater director Sam Mendes, who was responsible for the acclaimed 1998 revival of Cabaret and Nicole Kidman's turn in The Blue Room, made his motion picture debut with this film about the dark side of an American family, and about the nature and price of beauty in a culture obsessed with outward appearances. Kevin Spacey plays Lester Burnham, a man in his mid-40s going through an intense midlife crisis; he's grown cynical and is convinced that he has no reason to go on. Lester's relationship with his wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) is not a warm one; while on the surface Carolyn strives to present the image that she's in full control of her life, inside she feels empty and desperate. Their teenage daughter Jane (Thora Birch) is constantly depressed, lacking in self-esteem, and convinced that she's unattractive. Her problems aren't helped by her best friend Angela (Mena Suvari), an aspiring model who is quite beautiful and believes that that alone makes her a worthwhile person. Jane isn't the only one who has noticed that Angela is attractive: Lester has fallen into uncontrollable lust for her, and she becomes part of his drastic plan to change his body and change his life. Meanwhile, next door, Colonel Fitts (Chris Cooper) has spent a lifetime in the Marine Corps and can understand and tolerate no other way of life, which makes life difficult for his son Ricky (Wes Bentley), an aspiring filmmaker and part-time drug dealer who is obsessed with beauty, wherever and whatever it may be. American Beauty was also the screen debut for screenwriter Alan Ball.

Notes et avis

"So much beauty in the world" I love this movie! I love Kevin Spacey. This movies narration is well put together. I love the plot. I give it five stars. This is ultimately my favorite movie. Kevin Spacey starred as the loser husband that became fed up with his life and decided to stop living as if he were in a "coma" just going through life non existant.

The story of our generation. Kevin Spacey and Annette Benning were superb in this flick, living lives of quiet desperation, bounced off their talented, suffering children in ways you'd never expect. The ending is a killer - you wouldn't see coming! Well worth 121 mins of your time!

I've watched this movie several times and have found it very thought provoking. It's also a really great description of someone who just said f**k it and began living the life he'd deprived himself of for so long. Also has an excellent plot twist at the end. I highly recommend this film!