"‘American Beauty’ is a singular accomplishment so specifically keyed to Spacey’s talents that it mandates going out on a limb to say it contains the performance that will ultimately be regarded as ‘the one.’"

"…Bening spectacular…"

"…Spacey gives sardonic snap to every line he delivers from Alan Ball’s…screenplay."

"From Conrad Hall’s photography to Thomas Newman’s score to at least five performances that could justify Oscar nominations, the movie is a beaut."

"It’s as feeling as it is funny, a quality recent movies seemed to have lost."