If there was movie you had to see in 1999, THIS was it. Featuring a superb ensemble cast of actors and a touching story of self-redemption, American Beauty was unanimously hailed by critics as the best film of the year. Critical acclaim eventually translated into Academy Award recognition as it took home no less than 5 Oscars, including Best Picture. After a substantial delay, this extraordinary movie finally gets its DVD release as a special Awards Edition.

Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), a 42 year old advertising representative, awakens one morning and realizes his life is crumbling before his very eyes. He has a loveless marriage with his wife (Annette Bening) and non-existent relationship with his teenage daughter (Thora Birch). After meeting one of his daughter’s friends (Mena Suvari), he becomes infatuated with her and decides to change his life. We watch as the entire family struggles with their own problems, somehow trying to find a way to cope.

I remember walking out of the theatre when this movie premiered, completely speechless. It’s a touching, compelling story which did a superb job of being both funny and poignant. Seamlessly blending comedy and drama is no easy feat but it really gets the job done. Kevin Spacey gives one hell of a performance as the man who decides that he must lose everything before he can finally regain his life We watch as he "returns" back to his teenage years by buying himself a vintage Firebird and working the drive thru at a local burger joint. I smiled through many of his quirky moments and great lines. His journey into redemption and search for happiness is something to behold. The story is a tad far fetched but you will be captivated by the emotions and interactions of many of the characters. The romance between the two teenagers (Birch and Wes Bentley) was harrowing to watch because sadly, their love is the only escape they have from their dysfunctional family lives. They cling to each other to distance themselves from their broken homes. Annette Bening is great too, as the flawed mother and disillusioned housewife. You watch as she slowly, piece by piece, begins to mentally unravel. Director Sam Mendes deserves equal credit for shooting in a style which was visually stunning to watch. Words don’t do it justice. Simply a great movie which is destined to be a classic.

Video: The DVD was considerably delayed because Dreamworks wanted to take their time to make sure they got everything right. I wasn’t impressed with the film’s transfer at all. I repeatedly watched the movie over and over again and couldn’t believe the amount of grain and artifact during many of the scenes. I hate to nit-pick but the transfer is mediocre at best. The image appears "soft" at times but the colours remain stable and vivid. Given the time that it took to release this movie, I expected a flawless print but saw nothing more than average picture quality which was a damn shame. It’s presented in an anamorphic format (2.35:1), enhanced for widescreen sets.

Audio: While not an audio driven movie, Thomas Newman’s original soundtrack does sound very good. All the dialogue was crisp and was never drowned out by the score. I was pleased to see that they also managed to include both DTS and Dolby Digital formats. The commentary track narrated by the director and screenwriter Alan Ball is a real treat to listen to. They go into great depth to explain different symbolic elements in the movie and why they chose certain shots. They’re both very enthusiastic and proud of their work, giving a solid insider’s look into how American Beauty came together.

I was really disappointed when I learned that plans to include deleted scenes and the controversial alternate ending were eventually scrapped by the studio. Why, I’ll never know. A short 20 minute behind the scenes feature "Look Closer:", provides interviews with the cast and crew on how the film came together. It had a pseudo-Entertainment Tonight vibe, with more emphasis on how the film was received by critics and how well it did at the Academy Awards. It’s not very insightful and came across as being rather brief. There’s also a 60 minute storyboard feature from the director and head of photography Conrad L. Hall. This extra was terribly mundane and basically involves 2 people talking over a very slow slide show. It’s not very exciting but very technically oriented and I think would be of greater interest to aspiring filmmakers who want to learn how to select certain shots. Two trailers and extensive production notes are also included. The notes go into Kevin Spacey’s preparation for the movie, the difficulty the producers had in finding a studio to support the project and every award the film eventually won. The menus for the DVD were every similar to that of Saving Private Ryan (Another Dreamworks release) but feature great excerpts from the soundtrack and decent animation.

I’m torn between the facts that this release features one of the best movies to come along in years and a very disappointing DVD. For a movie that’s so visually appealing and cinematic, you’d expect an immaculate print transfer. Instead, we get one littered with flaws and defects. The documentary and extras weren’t that good either. The one shining point is the terrific commentary track. For a release that had so much hype surrounding it, this was a definite let-down. It’s worth a rental and I’d suggest buying it for the movie, not the DVD.