I found myself watching the tail end of American Beauty last night, and I couldn’t help but think how overwrought it seemed. I remember really liking the movie when it came out, so I’m not sure if my tastes changed or the aesthetic just seems dated now.
Allison Janney, however, turns in a nice, understated performance as Chris Cooper’s long-suffering wife, that I’d forgotten about.
I thought it was a tired perspective when it first came out (although compelling nonetheless). See for example Don Delillo’s “White Noise”, which predated AB by about 15 years.
But what did strike me about the film was the impact it had on my somewhat less literate middle-class friends. It definitely touched some kind of a nerve for certain people, even if it didn’t quite lead to the revolution in personal understanding it might’ve hoped for.
One other thing: I happened to watch AB on cable on the night of September 10, 2001. The movie became very dated very quickly. Existential angst was suddenly replaced with some very much more immediate concerns.