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More views on AMERICAN BEAUTY
Hey there Yogi Bear, Harry here. I know... You may be getting tired of seeing reviews for this film, but... It's my site and if I want to deluge you with convincing reviews to possibly motivate you to see the best film I've seen so far this year... I'm doing it. I'm shameless, but this is the EXACT type of film that comes and goes and makes jaded critics shake their heads at the American Movie-Going public for an extreme lack of taste. Personally, it is my belief that the American public has good taste... but they need to HEAR ABOUT THE FILM to go. Thus... Why I'm pushing this film. Films this good come out VERY rarely... and as a debut movie it ranks among the very best. I've been taking steps to insure that we have a lot of coverage for this movie because... You not only need to see this one, but recruit people to go with you. Well... enough of me... Onto the main man of the hour...
Well, Harry, let me preface this by saying that I'm not usually motivated to write reviews of movies. I was thrilled by "The Matrix"
like everyone else, thoroughly enjoyed the very smart yet woefully underseen "Election", and was impressed with but not blown
away by "The Sixth Sense". These were all good films, but it took until September 2, 1999 for me to see the first truly great film of
the year. I arrived with a friend about 45 minutes before the screening, and there were probably about 100 people ahead of us, and
30 behind us by time they let us in. A suit was anxiously dancing around in the back of the theatre, and when the film began and
the volume was so low, he ran out, and had the problem fixed in a minute (where was he when I sat through the first 20 minutes of
"American Pie" straining to make out the dialogue?) What I mostly heard in line was that people didn't know what to expect, and
very few had even seen a trailer of the film. For the two hours that we spent in the darkened theatre together though, we laughed,
shifted uncomfortably in our seats (more on that in a bit), and finally when it was all over, when the screen faded to black, sat there a
bit stunned before breaking into applause (not thunderous, but I think many in the audience were a bit taken aback).
The performances, unilaterally across the board were brilliant. Kevin Spacey's character was not dissimilar to the character he
played in "The Ref"; his expressions, his mannerisms, and oh, those fantastic one-liners..wow. This performance has Oscar
nomination written all over it. Annette Bening, Thora Birch, a *much* hotter here than in "American Pie", Mena Suvari, Chris Cooper
(in perhaps the most difficult role)...all very good, but I found the next most compelling performance to be that of Wes Bentley. An
intense, multi-layered acting job that has the audience never quite sure what's going on in his head, well, until the scene. The
scene, of course being where he and Thora sit down and watch the most beautiful thing that he's ever filmed.
The dialogue was so sharp, so unexpectedly funny (many of Spacey's lines-particularly at the real estate convention, pot-smoking
excursion-extracted so much laughter that the following lines couldn't be heard) that when my friend and I rode home in the car, we
could repeat scenes verbatim. At this point, let me chime in with her two thoughts on the movie...one, that it was beautifully shot
(the red and white imagery, the framing of the characters, the overhead shots of the trees that coincided so well with Spacey's
voiceover bits, and two, that she spent a lot of the film cringing. And there, I think she hit the nail on the head. We get to really
know these characters, so when things happen (I'm trying to keep this relatively spoiler-free), we share their discomfort. So, she
said, she cringed a lot and laughed a lot, and that she wanted to see it again..immediately to see things that she hadn't caught the
first time around.
But again, let me emphasize this is Spacey's film...he owns it, every single frame. The sly smiles, the singing in the car, the
wonderful fantasy sequences...Spacey's performance grabs you by the balls, and carries you along on his journey, on his search for
fulfillment to the bittersweet end....
Well, Harry, like I said I don't often feel compelled to write reviews, and I probably won't do so again (those Talkback flames might
singe my delicate ego), but I just had to share my thoughts with you and having read so many of your similar views on films, I felt
inspired me to voice my own.
Cheers.
inviz
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saw the trailer for American Beauty today too, and it does look fantastic. But, fawkin hell, did they have to include that gun-shot thing at the end? WHAT THE FAWK! DAMN TRAILER MAKING NAZIS!
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I can't wait. I've already ruined much of it for myself with spoilers...but I can't wait to see this movie. I got my free tickets, and I am good to go. I don't think I had more anticipation with the Phantom Menace. And this time, I don't think I will be let down.
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It would have been a one-man show had it not been for the most amazing supporting cast I've ever seen assembled. They all stood eyeball to eyeball with Spacey, not merely illuminating his own brilliance, but returning it in spades. And I'm not making this up. You have to see it, and experience it to believe it. All three of the women and at least two of the men, possibly more, deserve not just supporting nominations, but the award itself. The competition in the supporting categories is between someone in this movie and someone in another, but in this one movie. They should have their own award show. Amazing what actors can do when they have real material to work with, and not some crap filtered through months and years of studio morons and their "creative" meetings. This was not a film made by committee. It is absolutely clear what everyone contributed here and it all came together in a stunning motion picture. Everyone who saw American Pie should be required to see this as an example of how real teenagers talk, what they feel and think. Yes teenagers. With all the buzz about this movie, very few people have mentioned the enormous role teenagers play in it. This is a film that cuts across a number of genre and demographic lines. Let's hope Dreamworks doesn't drop the ball. Here's the Oscars they missed last year. A whole case of them.
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My girlfriend and I saw "American Beauty" at a Minneapolis sneak preview last evening. While I loved it, my girlfriend had a different reaction. Her main reason for not liking it was because it puts a spotlight on parents abusing their children (something she has experience with). It was difficult for her to watch the violent scenes. I, on the other hand, thought that seeing the dark side of the human experience is what makes this film so great. I'm sure many men have fantasized in the way Kevin Spacey's loathsome character does. I was glad to see comparisons being made to "Election," another of my recent favorites. "American Beauty" deals with some of the same issues: betrayal and sexuality in a frank manner. I think "American Beauty" has captured the 90's zetgeist. To sum it up, I would recommend this movie without hesitation.
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Also in Chicago, also no tickets yet. Yet. And Kevin Spacey IS NOT GAY!!!! Not that there's anything wrong with that. Beers!
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anyone have any info on an Orlando screening??
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Hey I got my American Beauty Tickets today!!!! Yeah!!!!! I can't wait. Hope you all get yours today too. Mesa so happyday!
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I originally thought all the previews were the same day, but they're not. Since it doesn't go wide until Oct. 1, it appears that the previews are rolling out across the country, probably working a limited number of prints, since the one I saw had no end credits. For those of you who haven't gotten tickets yet, keep the faith. I got mine about 8 days ahead of the screening, and, BTW, for another city, but what the hell, I'd have driven a considerable distance. And be sure and get there early. A ticket doesn't guarantee admission. They will be turning away a lot of people as word spreads.
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I am very excited about seeing this movie, and even if I wasn't i would still probably see it. But has there been one movie this year that you liked?? For crying out loud you liked the haunting.
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I am very excited about seeing this movie, and even if I wasn't i would still probably see it. But has there been one movie this year that you haven't liked?? For crying out loud you liked the haunting.
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Mr. Clockwork Taxi, you need to actually read Harry's reviews. There are numerous ones this year that Harry has given negative reviews to. Take "Inspector Gadget (Inspector Crapget, in my opinion). Harry's review was extremely negative, indicating his hatred for what the filmmakers had done. Think about what you say before you say it, next time, ok?
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I saw is last night, and it is awesome..I have to admit I am a committed Kevin Spacey fan, so I was prejudiced, but the supporting actors were great too..
Of course the almost nude shots of Kevin didn't hurt either! -
For every second person who has posted on talkback and a particularly uninformative review, can someone at least sort of explain what the fuck this movie is supposed to be about? A general premise? Maybe a theme? It is possible to do that without giving the entire movie away, I'm sure.
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This movie is a black comedy/drama about a middle-aged professional man (Spacey) with an ambitious and uptight realtor wife (Bening) and a disaffected teenage daughter (Birch), forming a very dysfunctional family. He becomes infatuated with his daughter's alluring friend (Suvari) at the same time he faces the loss of his job. His daughter is attracted to the drug-dealing son of the new next door neighbors, a strict Marine colonel and his virtually catatonic wife. Her girlfriend flirts with and teases the father. The separate story lines of all these characters merge in the third act into a conclusion that was announced in the opening, and yet keeps the audience guessing until the bitter end. Odd as it may seem from this description, the first half is absolutely hilarious, and then it turns dark, still funny, but dark. The best comedy comes from pain, and this one has it in spades. Not the physical pain like Farrelly brothers and other would-be comedy writers, but the psychic pain we all inflict on those we love. No doubt you will not go to see the movie because of this description. Go see it anyway. Don't rely on short descriptions. At least seven of the cast give performances that are each alone worth the price of admission. There are many, many scenes that are each worth the price. All together they create an experience that cannot be missed for anyone who loves film. I started tracking this film because it was supposed to be about an affair between Spacey and Suvari. I saw it with a producer who works out in a gym with her, and asked me if I knew who she was. I did, and we went to see the film. We both walked stunned, shocked, elated, and amazed that this movie actually made it through the Hollywood system. Do not miss this film. After a summer of unbelievable dreck, this is a breath of fresh air.
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Begin Rant-Harry, I for one am sick of your shit. You this that this film American Beauty is the best film of the year? How about Blair Witch, Iron Giant and even Lake Placid-yes,you even promoted that piece of shit. I know this is your website and you can opinionate anything you want here but fuck that shit. Its like when I see a Corvette owner mistreating his car,believe me I am going to tell him to take care of it.Why? cause it hurts me when I se someone mistreating something that is so good! I have decided to come to this website solely for information about new movies being produced or in consideration. I do not trust your reviews any more. You are just like the fat guy at the all you can eat buffet;he might not like the the fact that they are serving brussel sprouts but he still puts them on his plate cause it was next to his favorite dish -macaroni and cheese. So please Harry, just tell us about the movies out there and keep your opinion to yourself. And by the way, Iron Giant IS the best film this year. Oh, yeah, I forgot .That was your film of the year up until you saw American Beauty.Fuck ass- End of Rant
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I'm going to see it Tuesday, and I'll try to get a review posted that night if I can...and to the asshole above me whose *pissed* off at Harry for actually liking something, get this, fuckhead. Repeat after me. THIS YEAR ISN'T OVER YET! Understand? If Harry sees Fight Club tonight and comes back tomorrow with a best of the year line, so what? I loved Iron giant too, but if I love this more, I'm going to say so. Okay, on record, Iron Giant is the best film this year. Tomorrow or whenever I see American Beauty, and I might say American Beauty is the best film this year! You know what? Fuck you. Harry can say whatever the hell he wants, and you'll read it like the information hungry bitch you are. Thanks, see ya.
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Man, American Beauty is an absolutely amazing movie! I hope there are more than just one Oscar given to this movie, but at the very least if Kevin Spacey doesn't get an Oscar for this, there is something seriously wrong with the world!
Well, The Matrix held on to my Number One spot for a few months there, but uh-uh, that crown now goes to American Beauty.
Definitely the best of 99 so far!
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