American Beauty is a 1999 American black comedy drama film written by Alan Ball and directed by Sam Mendes. Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham : an advertising executive who has a midlife crisis when he becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter's best friend, played by Mena Suvari. Annette Bening stars as Lester's materialistic wife, Carolyn, and Thora Birch plays their insecure daughter, Jane. Wes Bentley, Chris Cooper, and Allison Janney costar. Academics have described the film as satirizing how beauty and personal satisfaction are perceived by the American middle class; further analysis has focused on the film's romantic and paternal love, sexuality, materialism, self-liberation, and redemption. Reviewers praised most aspects of the production, with particular emphasis on Mendes , Spacey and Ball. Criticism tended to focus on the familiarity of the characters and setting. DreamWorks launched a major campaign to increase American Beauty's chances of Oscar success; following its controversial Best
Originally collected by
fetching...
(
less)