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It
is very difficult to say what makes a drama good. You know
it affected you, but why? If a movie tries too hard to get
at your emotions, you know it and the attempt is wasted.
American Beauty managed to strike the right balance for me.
There were plenty of messages there, or were there? You see,
most of this was left to the viewer. Nothing was forced.
In American Beauty, Kevin Spacey is a middle-aged family man
undergoing a mid-life crisis. He's trapped in a dead-end
job, married to an unfeeling wife (Annette Bening), and
father to a distant daughter. Fantasies involving his
daughter's friend start him on his mission to turn things
around. If he were the only one with problems, he may
succeed. However, all the people in his life have problems
of their own, and he his doomed from the get-go. The story
may seem to meander about, but focus on each of the
characters (all superbly portrayed by the cast) and you'll
learn from each of them.
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