Every Best Picture Oscar Winner Ranked Worst To Best

A movie that's become almost impossible to watch thanks to the horrific actions of its star, American Beauty is a small suburban drama about a man in the midst of a middle-life crisis that never challenges itself to break new ground.

It's solidly made and even stylish, aided by strong performances, but overall Sam Mendes's study in family dysfunction takes itself far too seriously to be as compelling as it clearly thinks it is. It has some great imagery, and Annette Benning shines, but the brilliance ends there.