Spacey, an actor who embodies intelligence in his eyes and voice, is the right choice for Lester Burnham.
100
TNT RoughCutChristopher Brandon
TNT RoughCutChristopher Brandon
A dark comical masterpiece that single-handedly announces the collapse of the American family infrastructure as it exists on the brink of Y2K.
100
Dallas ObserverBill Gallo
Dallas ObserverBill Gallo
It gracefully defies the usual categories, gets under your skin in ways you cannot anticipate, then works its way straight toward the heart. It's far and away the bravest and best movie of the year.
90
Film.comPeter Brunette
Film.comPeter Brunette
Hilarious, slightly sick, and super-edgy ...the acting of its two principals, Annette Bening and Kevin Spacey, is so sublime that it's worth seeing on that grounds alone.
90
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Hilarious, painful and brutally frank.
83
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
Though excellent in many ways, American Beauty is, finally, an uneasy mix of assured technique and simplistic satire.
80
TimeRichard Schickel
TimeRichard Schickel
Kevin Spacey (gives) a truly great performance.
80
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
Surprises you with a kind of hardheaded romanticism.
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
A ruthless dissection of suburban malaise.
63
San Francisco ExaminerWesley Morris
San Francisco ExaminerWesley Morris
A satire whose dead aim stops wounding - and starts making - stereotypes of white middle-classness.