American Beauty - I'm a fucking dumbass

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i figure New York's got so many plastic bags drifting down the street, once that video kid gets there his head'll be spinning. so much Beauty!!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 12:39 (twenty-two years ago)

whatever you think of SK, he has a radically more pessimistic worldview

People say this all the time, and maybe I'm just reading attitudes into him that aren't there, but... are you sure?

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 12:41 (twenty-two years ago)

let's joke about killing Dad who has hardly even lives up to the Matos standard of fatherhood

I know what you mean by this but I must note that I'm not actually a father. Just so Googlers don't get confused

― Matos W.K. in Mpls (M Matos), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 14:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Ya hear that, googlers? Don't get confused, now.

― TOMBOT, Wednesday, 9 June 2004 14:34 (twenty-two years ago)

ha, i did wonder for a moment...

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 14:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't try it.

― Crickets Dance On Tequila Booty (Barima), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 14:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I think The Ice Storm is to American Beauty what Your Friends and Neighbors is to Happiness: a better, subtler film with a similar plot and themes, which got less attention because it was less in-your-face. Happiness is still better than American Beauty, and even AB has it's moments, but I prefer TIS and YFaN over these two.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 14:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't remember, really (as the movie is largely unmemorable), but I believe it was the nazi-crockery-collecting father next door.

Decent soundtrack, tho'.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 14:51 (twenty-two years ago)

American Beauty is probably the movie I'm most embarrassed about really liking when I saw it. I even took notes the day after I saw it re: the film's detailed color symbolism (!!). I'm a sucker for this kind of domestic drama (I love The Ice Storm and Updike's Rabbit series), so it's not surprising that I got into it. But yeah, in retrospect, it seems completely unsubtle. I remember arguing for a long time that Chris Cooper's character wasn't really gay -- he was just lonely and confused at that moment (in the same way the kids in Elephant aren't really gay but awkwardly kiss each other in the shower). But it's mostly because I didn't want to believe the film would cave in to that ridiculous, tired stereotype (he's a hard-ass military man who's homophobic BECAUSE HE'S GAY HIMSELF!). It seems obvious now that it would, and it did.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh yeah, Alex just reminded me: I do like the score. Mmmm, marimbas. Although I think it's been mimicked for almost every similar-themed movie that's come out in the last five years.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:07 (twenty-two years ago)

The s/t was alright, yeah.

― Crickets Dance On Tequila Booty (Barima), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, I think there are some very good things about the script, but they don't include the characters or dialogue.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I like Ice Storm, too. Even though, let's face it, it's a bit of an evil movie.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

The s/t was alright, yeah.

Very similar to Six Feet Under for obvious reasons.

― Michael White (Hereward), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Even though, let's face it, it's a bit of an evil movie.

What do you mean by this?

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:31 (twenty-two years ago)

adultery, evil christina ricci, electrocution, drunk kevin kline

EVIL

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Nixon masks!

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

she can sigourney my weaver anytime

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:33 (twenty-two years ago)

In retrospect the whole film seems very smug and bourgeois. It's a guilty pleasure because it is totally pandering to a specific audience and the older, wiser me finds much of the tone of the film a little icky an poorly-judged. I still enjoy the way it looks.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Perhaps you disagree.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmmm, I haven't seen it in a few years. Perhaps I'll go back and see.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Know what's a really bad movie? Consenting Adults.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

In terms of utter creepiness, American Beauty < Your Friends and Neighbors < The Ice Storm <<<<<<<<<< Happiness.

― NA (Nick A.), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:42 (twenty-two years ago)

i disagree that The Ice Storm is Evil. I primarily love it because of the incredibly good acting though.

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 16:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Evil with a capital E!

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 16:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Spencer OTM... one of the worst movies I've ever paid money for.

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 16:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Tracer: you want to see real estate saleswomen feeling lonely in empty apartments + alienation of the "striving class" in general + the futile attempts to recapture youth = you want taiwanese cinema, specifically Edward Yang and Tsai Ming-liang, each of whom takes craps that are more interesting than AB

This is completely OTM. I always recommend 'Yi-Yi' to 'American Beauty' lovers.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:13 (twenty-two years ago)

seconded.

― cozen (Cozen), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:16 (twenty-two years ago)

thirded.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:18 (twenty-two years ago)

is it time for a *slurp slurp*?

― cozen (Cozen), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:19 (twenty-two years ago)

ewwww.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:20 (twenty-two years ago)

right thread.

― cozen (Cozen), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:21 (twenty-two years ago)

there's some fierce alienation going on in 'what time is it there?'.

― lauren (laurenp), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

the French film Time Out is yet another better take on this type of story.

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:27 (twenty-two years ago)

oh oh oh that's a good one too!

xpost

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Happiness is fucking BOLLOCKS.

― Allyzay, Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:27 (twenty-two years ago)

seconded.

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha! I used to really like Happiness.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Happiness is just an unfunny Farrelly Brothers film crossed with the worst aspects of Vice.

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:29 (twenty-two years ago)

All of that "cinema of misanthropy" stuff is just horrible, really.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Gear!, that is the best description of Happiness that I've ever read.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I blame the French. Watch Amateur!st get mad at me.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:30 (twenty-two years ago)

the best shot during happiness is when PST comes over to LFB's place and there's this 60-90 second shot of him slowwwwwwwwwwwly leaning across the couch which she breaks with "This isn't going to work out"... haha, i laughed both times i saw it.

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:31 (twenty-two years ago)

*a piece of paper blows in the wind*

Peter 'Family Guy' Griffin: Sometimes there is so much beauty in the world that I feel like I can't take it.

*cut to heaven*

God: What's wrong with you?!?! It's just a piece of paper! Do you know how complex the circulatory system is?!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:32 (twenty-two years ago)

When is somebody going to mention Larry Clark?

Larry Clark.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Blowing my own head off is more appealing than watching Happiness ever, ever again.

― Allyzay, Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:32 (twenty-two years ago)

sadly accurate too, Nicole!

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:33 (twenty-two years ago)

happiness >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> lost in translation

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:33 (twenty-two years ago)

>>>>>>>>>>>>> american beauty

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:34 (twenty-two years ago)

"Bully" was pretty good, i thought.

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:34 (twenty-two years ago)

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