American Beauty (Academy Awards)

The life of a normal guy in the suburbs of America is not usually one audiences want to hear about. However, in this case middle-aged advertiser Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is about to go through some rather interesting changes. As his marriage with his status-seeking real-estate agent wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) slowly falls apart, he also has to contend with the knowledge that she truly hates his guts, his teenage daughter Jane thinks he's a loser, and his boss is keen to fire him.
Lester decides to make some of his own changes, to take the edge off of his harrowing existence. Taking up marijuana, working out in the garage, and flirting with his daughter's friend are just a few of the new activities raising the eyebrows of those around him. The freer he becomes, the more his happiness and peace of mind grow. Where will Lester's newfound freedom take him? Winning five Oscars, this is a film that will linger in the minds of audiences for a long time to come. Rod Dreher of the New York Post called it a 'flat-out masterpiece.'