Official Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ycmmJ6rxA8
BEFORE THE VIEWING
I was 12 when "American Beauty" hit theaters. Although I had to wait until it hit home video release, I still caught it early enough to be rooting for it by the time Oscar season rolled around for the year. You would think that a 12-year-old would be most drawn to and affected by the younger folks in the story - the angsty daughter, the mysterious boy next door, the narcissistic best friend. To an extent, I was - and I expect to swoon a bit over Ricky even when I view this film in a few minutes.
But the story that always seemed so distinct to me was Lester's. Maybe it was just because Kevin Spacey was, and is, an incredible actor. Maybe it was just effective marketing. You wouldn't think that a mid-life crisis story would really capture the interest and enthusiasm of a 12-year-old girl, but somehow, it did.
Even then, I could see that the supporting cast of this film was rock-solid. Allison Janney, Chris Cooper, Annette Bening, Peter Gallagher...this movie was populated with faces I recognized from other, excellent things.
I also responded to the cinematography and overall style; slow, steady fantasy shots, pulled-back frames that conveyed the true emptiness of rooms and emptiness of lives with so much potential unlived.
In the intervening years, I get the sense that a lot of folks finally shook their heads, "coming to" after being slowly mesmerized by this film. On the other side of 1999, some of the magic seemed to dissipate. "American Beauty" fell into the bucket of award-winning films that we ended up facepalming ourselves for handing out (think "Shakespeare in Love"). For me, though, this film has always been a moody, artistic achievement that left me happy-crying at the end.
Let's see if that's still the case.
AFTER THE VIEWING
It still makes me happy-cry at the end.
This movie comes down to the characters for me. Part of it is how well they are crafted; they're all flawed, but you don't downright hate any of them. They all have redeeming qualities, but you don't love any of them. This movie doesn't judge its characters. It merely seeks to show you this tiny slice of suburban life. Honestly.
The other thing I love about these characters is how relatable they are. Ever wished you were anything but ordinary? Ever felt like life could crush you into silence? Ever felt sedated, and then suddenly something jolted you back to life? Ever admired a person for having the same goals and values? Ever wanted to quit a job and not give a shit? Ever psyched yourself up by blaring a great song in your car? Ever been caught up in a moment that looked totally mundane from the outside, but meant everything to you on the inside? Yeah, me too.
Of course, there are other great things about this film. Until this viewing, I never really unpacked the rose petals featured so heavily. They start out in the hands of Carolyn, symbolic of her attention to detail, her outer beauty, her poise. But they quickly become a central element in Lester's fantasies about Angela, suggesting sensuality, the blossom of her youth, the color of passion.
The music, too, deserves some kudos: a mix of classic rock, vintage crooning, and understated original scoring that seems to arrest your heart, but not to overwhelm it.
During the viewing, I ended up typing out several quotes - some wretched, some insightful. But I'm not going to list them out here, because honestly, they hit super close to home. But I will leave you the same way that Lester did, by telling you that some things in life - movies, a bag in the wind, a well-timed pint, a long conversation - can leave you thinking, "...I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life..."
And I feel pretty grateful for this film.
Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5
10 down. 288 to go.
No comments:
Post a Comment