Picture 72: American Beauty (1999)

1999 was an excellent year in film. The Matrix, The Sixth Sense, Fight Club, Magnolia and Toy Story 2 all made it to the silver screen. However, there can only be one winner for each year and Sam Mendes’ American Beauty made it over the line.

The last year of the second millennium AD takes us to suburban America. Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is struggling in his upper-middle-class existence. He doesn’t enjoy his job in advertising and his marriage to his house-proud wife is under strain. His teenage daughter seems to hold deep disdain towards him and his neighbour is a homophobic ex-marine. He is living in the land of the free and yet he is inside a prison in his mind.

Tragically, he feels liberated when he develops a crush on his daughter’s friend played by Mena Suvari. Like a moth to a flame, he flaps his wings towards the abyss. He is a slave to society’s vision of salvation and his spiral is well depicted. His crisis is juxtaposed with the sickening comfort of materialistic security.

1999’s entry is well acted and an entertaining watch. It embraces deep issues without straining the viewer’s eyes or brain. Backed up by Thomas Newman’s iconic soundtrack, it shows that beauty can still exist, even in the midst of chaos and disenchantment. This is a splendid effort and well deserving of its place in the top 20. Roll on the next millennium!

Rating: 9/10

Oscar Best Picture Rankings:

1.     The Godfather (1972)

2. Schindler’s List (1993)

3. Casablanca (1943)

4. The Apartment (1960)

5. Rebecca (1940)

6. The Godfather: Part II (1974)

7. The Sound of Music (1965)

8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

9. Ordinary People (1980)

10. A Man for All Seasons (1966)

11. Gandhi (1982)

12. The Deer Hunter (1978)

13. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

14. The English Patient (1996)

15. American Beauty (1999)

16. Titanic (1997)

17. Ben-Hur (1959)

18. The Last Emperor (1987)

19. Unforgiven (1992)

20. Lost Weekend (1945)

21. Platoon (1986)

22. Gone With the Wind (1939)

23. Rocky (1976)

24. Annie Hall (1977)

25. Amadeus (1984)

26. All About Eve (1950)

27. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

28. Hamlet (1948)

29. How Green Was My Valley (1941)

30. Braveheart (1995)

31. Out of Africa (1985)

32. West Side Story (1961)

33. Mrs. Miniver (1942)

34. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

35. Wings (1928)

36. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

37. You can’t take it with you (1938)

38. Patton (1970)

39. Terms of Endearment (1983)

40. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

41. On the Waterfront (1954)

42. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

43. Midnight Cowboy (1969)

44. Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

45. Rain Man (1988)

46. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

47. Forrest Gump (1994)

48. Dances with Wolves (1990)

49. Marty (1955)

50. Oliver! (1968)

51. Cimarron (1931)

52. Grand Hotel (1932)

53. The French Connection (1971)

54. An American in Paris (1951)

55. Shakespeare in Love (1998)

56. From Here to Eternity (1953)

57. It Happened One Night (1934)

58. My Fair Lady (1964)

59. Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)

60. Cavalcade (1933)

61. The Sting (1973)

62. The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

63. Going My Way (1944)

64. The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

65. Chariots of Fire (1981)

66. All the King’s Men (1949)

67. In the Heat of the Night (1967)

68. Gigi (1958)

69. Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

70. The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

71. The Broadway Melody (1929)

72. Tom Jones (1963)

Previous or current ranking leaders are in bold.

With credit and thanks to the patrons of the Best Picture Film Club:

Dr Sophie Bloomfield – Fashion Correspondent

Dr Caspar Briault – Head of Cynicism

Dr Conrad Charlton

Dr Sophie Clarke

Dr Kate Diomede

Dr Fionnuala Durrant

Dr Josh Fisher

Dr Joseph Gallaher – CEO and Founder

Dr Joseph Hamilton

Dr Adam Holland – Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Dr Sid Mohan - Divisional Lead for the 1980s

Dr Hannah Morrison

Dr Meera Radia