DVD Reviews

American Beauty - Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll Oct 1, 2010, 1:29 GMT

$Noted theater director Sam Mendes, who was responsible for the acclaimed 1998 revival of Cabaret and Nicole Kidman\'s turn in The Blue Room, made his motion picture debut with this film about the dark side of an American family, and about the nature and price of beauty in a culture obsessed with outward appearances. Kevin Spacey plays Lester Burnham, a man in his mid-40s going through an intense midlife crisis;$

Noted theater director Sam Mendes, who was responsible for the acclaimed 1998 revival of Cabaret and Nicole Kidman\'s turn in The Blue Room, made his motion picture debut with this film about the dark side of an American family, and about the nature and price of beauty in a culture obsessed with outward appearances. Kevin Spacey plays Lester Burnham, a man in his mid-40s going through an intense midlife crisis; ...more

Mid-life crises, I’m scheduled for one soon but Lester Burnham’s is in full swing. You’d think that an Academy Award would make him feel better, but he thinks an affair with his daughter’s friend will better hit the spot.

Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) hates his job and is bored with his life. His wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) is an aspiring realtor who starts to get much to close to her rival realtor Buddy Kane (Peter Gallagher). Their daughter Jane (Thora Birch) hates both of her parents, has low self esteem, and sees getting a boob job that’s she is saving for is her way to feeling better about herself.

Some new people move in next door to the Burnhams, the stern Col. Frank Fitts (Chris Cooper) and his son Ricky (Wes Bentley). Ricky sells marijuana and documents everything constantly with his video camera. Ricky and Jane become fast friends, and Lester begins having sexual fantasies about Jane’s friend Angela (Mena Survani).

When Lester is about to be laid off he connives to get $60,000 out of his boss and then quits his job, as well as buying marijuana from Ricky and trying to make himself more appealing to Angela.

However, Col. Fitts thinks that Lester and Ricky spending more time together is something altogether different.

Lester is a man drowning in the American Dream. He feels sedated and lifeless. Torn down by the sameness of his life and he finds that getting fired actually causes his humdrum existence to perk up. That and lusting after a much younger woman, which is something you see over and over again.

Screenwriter Alan Ball, of True Blood and Six Feet Under fame, turns our perceptions of the American dream on their head and adds his familiar touch of black comedy. It may look good from the outside but the inhabitants had issues. That can’t be said about the cast as the performances are excellent.

Spacey would walk away with the best actor Oscar and the picture would also garner best picture, best director for newcomer, at the time, Sam Mendes, best original screenplay, and best cinematography for the legendary Conrad Hall (1926-2003). Not bad for the first feature from Mendes and big screen writing debut for Ball.

It’s a film seething with uneasy truths, but it’s one that is high quality. The problem that might trouble some is that the Blu-ray, given the moniker “Sapphire Series” which is supposed to mean high quality, seems like it could be better.

The transfer does add definition and vivid color, but also has speckles on the print. Their may have been a move to leave well enough alone, especially since Hall is no longer with us to supervise any restoration, but you can’t help but think that remastering would make the picture look better.

I tend to doubt, especially since the special features are nothing new, that Mendes was involved either. It looks good, but you imagine that it could look better.

American Beauty is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (2.35:1). Special features are presented in standard definition unless noted. First up is a commentary from director Sam Mendes and screenwriter Alan Ball.

The 22 minute “American Beauty Look Closer” is a making of, Sam Mendes and cinematographer Conrad L. Hall present an hours worth of storyboard, and you get two trailers (4 minutes total) that are the only special features that are in high definition. There were some DVD-ROM features on the DVD release that are missing here.

American Beauty is still beautiful but you still surmise that the old girl could use a touchup. The film is still a quality one, deserving the awards lauded on it. I can’t help but be disappointed that new interviews with Spacey or Mendes weren’t done or that a tribute to Hall wasn’t done.