Movie Debate #157: American Beauty

[Reed Rothchild | 9,583]

[Gloves | 11,830]

Never seen it. 

[Reed Rothchild | 9,583]

16 minutes ago, Gloves said:

Never seen it. 

How un-American

[Link | 2,727]

Really doesn't hold up for me.

I watched it about five years ago. My main takeaway was the Kevin Spacey character was really creepy and the movie did little to either condemn or redeem his behavior.

I guess the plastic bag bit seems deep to a teenager (which that character was, to be fair). 

A wikipedia read brings me back a bit, but I still have no need to see it a third time.

[Tulpa | 3,534]

2 hours ago, Link said:

Really doesn't hold up for me.

 

Same here. It was all the rage when it came out, but by the mid-to-late aughts (even before Spacey's issues came to light), most people I talked to about were like, "Oh, yeah, that movie. Why did we like it back then?"

It was a heck of a breakout for Thora Birch. Too bad her dad derailed her career.

Edited April 28 by Tulpa

[nrslam | 477]

Once was enough. Does Wes Bentley always play creepy types?

[doner24 | 1,197]

5 hours ago, Tulpa said:

 

It was a heck of a breakout for Thora Birch. Too bad her dad derailed her career.

Simon?

[doner24 | 1,197]

7- watched it with my wife for the first time in 25 years recently. I thought it was still pretty well done. 

[Tulpa | 3,534]

50 minutes ago, doner24 said:

Simon?

Heh, good one.

[JamesRobot | 5,825]

Meh.  Watched when it was relevant and I don't care enough to see it again.  And Kevin Spacey and all that.  

From a strictly artistic perspective, Spacey's acting is pretty great.  Keyser Söze ftw.

But he kinda always plays the same smug smarmy I'm-smarter-than-thou psychopathic character.  Which is pretty much how I perceive him in real life.  Anyway, he's pretty much done. 

I wonder if any filmmakers would take a gamble on him for cheap.  Like half scale?  You'd probably get a great performance and some instant notoriety.  Maybe in another 10~15 years.

[TDIRunner | 2,771]

Similar to what others have said.  I saw it in the theater when it first came out and I enjoyed it for what it was.  I remember this movie being such a big deal back then.  It was certainly a unique movie.  But it was the type of movie where I didn't have a huge desire to ever watch it again.  Looking back on it, I don't think it would hold up that well.  These types of movies are always difficult to rate because the rating I would have given it after the first watch is very different from what I would give it today.

[Tulpa | 3,534]

14 hours ago, JamesRobot said:

Keyser Söze ftw.

 

Off topic, but I briefly worked as a peon in a law firm in downtown LA years and years ago. One of the lawyers there was a guy by the name of Kayser Sume. I was like, "Oh, kind of like Keyser Sose." Then forgot about it. Never met the guy as he was always out of the office doing lawyer stuff. 

And then one of the juniors was like, "You know Christopher McQuarrie, the screenwriter for The Usual Suspects used to work here years ago. That dude, Kayser Sume? Yeah, that's where he got the name from, but Mr. Sume requested that he change the name a little." 

Edited April 29 by Tulpa

[The Count | 531]

Interesting fact: The hand on the cover is actually that of Christina Hendricks of Mad Men fame.

[PII | 1,897]

Endless fluff surrounding a tiny rock-hard rubbish turd.

[mbd39 | 2,029]

On 4/28/2024 at 11:23 PM, JamesRobot said:

Meh.  Watched when it was relevant and I don't care enough to see it again.  And Kevin Spacey and all that.  

From a strictly artistic perspective, Spacey's acting is pretty great.  Keyser Söze ftw.

But he kinda always plays the same smug smarmy I'm-smarter-than-thou psychopathic character.  Which is pretty much how I perceive him in real life.  Anyway, he's pretty much done. 

Nobody's better at playing assholes than Spacey. Love him in Glengarry Glen Ross and Swimming With Sharks.

[srbossman79 | 26]

6 hours ago, mbd39 said:

Nobody's better at playing assholes than Spacey. Love him in Glengarry Glen Ross and Swimming With Sharks.

I think the word "with" is missing from that first sentence... ha ha...

I watched this again circa 2021.  I can see most of it, but at the end it's a dad that wants to make it with a teenage schoolgirl.  Very creepy. 

I do enjoy his performances in many other movies.  GGR as stated above, Usual Suspects, K-Pax, Terrible Bosses.  I really liked his part as the journalist in Iron Will.  You guys are right though.  It's mainly all the same performance and character, just change the lines. 

[G-type | 2,521]

The movie that everyone used to think was good