You may think you have control of your life because you’ve accomplished certain goals. While true, often when we get some of the material things and stature that we desire, we are not prepared for what happens next.

"American Beauty" is about two dysfunctional families. One is a couple with a teenage daughter who has low self-esteem, which is not helped by their attitudes, due to the disappointments they have with their careers and their lackluster sex life. The other couple has a teenage son who sells dope, and whose retired military father is in denial about that and a few other things.

You see how relationships evolve, sometimes for the better and sometimes not. The fantasy pedophile relationship between the father, Kevin Spacey, and a high school cheerleader (Mena Suvari) is the essence of what this movie is all about. We can have our dreams and desires, but there is a line that is not to be crossed. When it is, even if it’s imaginary, things are never the same. This is a great movie to take a mature teenager to, as it gives the family something to talk about. It’s sort of like the phrase "just because you survived drugs, does not mean that your kids will…talk about it!"

If you like Kevin Spacey or Annette Benning, this is a must see movie. Oscar nominations are possible here in a number of categories.

The story is serious in tone, yet has some great laughs. Kevin Spacey is forced out of his job because of his bored, poor performance and a corporate downsizing. His wife, Benning, is a real estate broker who is doing more than OK but is insanely envious of the # 1 broker in town. She goes to an extreme for her career and he becomes infatuated with a cheerleader who is his daughter’s best friend.

A retired Army family moves in next door with a son who is quite on the outside and very aggressive in his actions. The teenage neighbors develop a friendship and when the son sells some dope to Spacey, the straight-arrow Army father (Chris Cooper, the dad in October Sky) spies next door and thinks he learns something that is not as it appears.

Shortly after that, a secret is revealed about this military man that gives insight into why his wife is effectively a mute. The movie concludes powerfully with each person in this small cast realistically dealing with their future. While you know who dun it, it’s up to you to decide who is charged with a crime and what impact that has on each of the characters. It has the general feel of Affliction, the movie that won James Coburn an Academy award for best supporting actor, but "American Beauty" is much easier to look at because of its comedic elements.