Turan cited Ball 's lack of constraint when writing the film as the reason for its uniqueness , in particular the script 's subtle changes in tone . McCarthy said the script was " as fresh and distinctive " as any of its American film contemporaries , and praised how it analyzed the characters while not compromising narrative pace . He called Ball 's dialogue " tart " and said the characters — Carolyn excepted — were " deeply drawn " . One other flaw , McCarthy said , was the revelation of Col. Fitts ' homosexuality , which he said evoked " hoary Freudianism " . Jackson said the film transcended its clichéd setup to become a " wonderfully resourceful and sombre comedy " . He said that even when the film played for sitcom laughs , it did so with " unexpected nuance " . Hentzi criticized how the film made a mystery of Lester 's murder , believing it manipulative and simply a way of generating suspense . McCarthy cited the production and costume design as pluses , and said the soundtrack was good at creating " ironic counterpoint [ s ] " to the story . Hentzi concluded that American Beauty was " vital but uneven " ; he felt the film 's examination of " the ways which teenagers and adults imagine each other 's lives " was its best point , and that although Lester and Angela 's dynamic was familiar , its romantic irony stood beside " the most enduring literary treatments " of the theme , such as Lolita . Nevertheless , Hentzi believed that the film 's themes of materialism and conformity in American suburbia were " hackneyed " . McCarthy conceded that the setting was familiar , but said it merely provided the film with a " starting point " from which to tell its " subtle and acutely judged tale " . Maslin agreed ; she said that while it " takes aim at targets that are none too fresh " , and that the theme of nonconformity did not surprise , the film had its own " corrosive novelty " . Ebert awarded American Beauty four stars out of four , and Turan said it was layered , subversive , complex , and surprising , concluding it was " a hell of a picture " .