American Beauty

Five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director, and Actor, went to this lacerating, darkly funny look at family decay in contemporary suburbia. Magazine editor Lester Burnham’s (Kevin Spacey) midlife frustrations threaten his troubled marriage to real estate agent Carolyn (Annette Bening) and lead him to an infatuation with his teenage daughter Jane’s (Thora Birch) friend, cheerleader Angela (Mena Suvari). Director Sam Mendes’ and scripter Alan Ball's debut film work also stars Wes Bentley, Chris Cooper. 122 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English; audio commentary by Mendes, Ball; "making of" featurette; storyboards; biographies; interviews; theatrical trailers.