American Beauty 1999  R, 120 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Sam Mendes
Cast: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Peter Gallagher, Chris Cooper, Allison Janney, Scott Bakula, Sam Robards, Barry Del Sherman, Amber Smith, Joel McCrary, Erin Cathryn Strubbe, Matthew Kimbrough
Lester (Kevin Spacey) and Carolyn Burnham (Annette Bening) have grown apart over their years of marriage when Lester falls head-over-heels for their daughter Jane's (Thora Birch) best friend, Angela (Mena Suvari). Carolyn, meanwhile, begins an affair with successful realtor Buddy Kane (Peter Gallagher), and Jane becomes chummy with her neighbor, Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley). Their tangled lives all come together one stormy night amidst bizarre misunderstandings. The film received eight Academy Award nominations, five of which captured Oscars, including Best Picture, Actor (Spacey), and Director. Other nominations included Bening for Best Actress.
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Jarhead 2005  R, 123 min.
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Director: Sam Mendes
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Brian Garaghty, Evan Jones, Brianne Davis, Jacob Vargas, Lucas Black, Scott MacDonald, Damion Poitier, Lo Ming, Riad Galayini, Kevin Foster, Craig Coyne
This story, based on Anthony Swoffard's book about his first-hand and sometimes humorous memories of heat and boredom in Kuwait during "Operation Desert Storm." A U.S. Marine, "Swoff" (Jake Gyllenhaal), and his fellow Marines are trained at Camp Pendleton, California, and then head for the Gulf as part of a scout/sniper platoon.
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Revolutionary Road 2008 R, 119 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Sam Mendes
Cast: Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kathy Bates, Michael Shannon, Kathryn Hahn, David Harbour, Dylan Baker, Richard Easton, Zoe Kazan, Jay O. Sanders, Max Casella, Keith Reddin, Ty Simpkins, Ryan Simpkins, Max Baker
Problems are developing in the marriage of a Connecticut couple, Frank and April (Leonardo DeCaprio and Kate Winslet), as they find themselves becoming a typical suburban family, which is what they vowed never to do. April's solution is to move as a family to France where they believe that they will be free from consumer demands and will be able to enjoy their artistic spirits. They brag to their neighbors about their decision, but will they be able–amidst constant arguments–to carry out their plans for a new lifestyle in France? Mentally challenged John Givings (Michael Shannon) appears to the only one to understand the Wheelers' problem. The film received three Academy Award nominations including Shannon for Best Supporting Actor.
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Road to Perdition 2002 R, 115 min.
Genre: Adventure / Drama / Thriller
Director: Sam Mendes
Cast: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Tyler Hoechlin, Daniel Craig, Stanley Tucci, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Dylan Baker, Ciaran Hinds, Liam Aiken, Rob Maxey, Craig Spidle, Ian Barford, Stephen P. Dunn, Paul Turner
One night in Rock Island, Iowa, during 1931, 12-year-old Michael (Tyler Hoechlin) witnesses his hit man father, Michael (Tom Hanks), pull out a gun and shoot a roomful of people. Not long after that, young Michael's brother and mother are found shot to death. Knowing that he has been betrayed by his boss (Paul Newman), Michael Sr. escapes with Michael Jr. on a six-week odyssey–with a psychotic hit man (Jude Law) hot on their trail. The film won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography and received five other nominations, including Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Paul Newman).
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| Oscar: Best Director for American Beauty (1999) |
1. American Beauty (1999)
2. Jarhead (2005)
3. Revolutionary Road (2008)
4. Road to Perdition (2002)
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