American Beauty

(DreamWorks)

Sam Mendes's Oscar-winning debut feature is about the rebirth of lost soul Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), who narrates the film in posthumous voiceover, looking back on wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) and unhappy daughter Jane (Thora Birch). The rebirth takes in high-school cheerleader Angela (Mena Suvari) and dope dealer Ricky (Wes Bentley). Who actually kills Lester is a mystery, but as he notes, it's hard to stay mad when there's so much beauty in the world.