Movies like The Ice Storm, American Beauty, etc.

ThirdMan

As the title suggests I'm looking for some similar movies to these. I don't really know how to describe them, except that they look into the weird lives of ordinary people.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

happiness....

percy212

That was a great time for film. Lots of good stuff those years. Being John Malkovich is another great one from that time. Things you might like are Dogtooth. Traffic. Magnolia. The Sweet Hereafter.

ThirdMan wrote: »

As the title suggests I'm looking for some similar movies to these. I don't really know how to describe them, except that they look into the weird lives of ordinary people.

Mickeroo

Would highly recommend The Squid and the Whale. Easily one of my favourite films of the last ten years.

Basically about a family falling apart told mainly from the children's point of view. It's not really depressing though, it's quite funny in places and Jeff Daniels is brilliant as the father. Cracking soundtrack too.

A very underrated film imo

johnny_ultimate

I'd always count Todd Field's Little Children in the same category as the two films mentioned in the OP - and personally I remember thinking it was a darker, more provocative take on suburban decay, but admittedly it's been years since I saw it!

The Virgin Suicide also springs to mind as existing in the same sort of thematic area, and of course the delightful Pleasantville.

Mickeroo

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

I'd always count Todd Field's Little Children in the same category as the two films mentioned in the OP - and personally I remember thinking it was a darker, more provocative take on suburban decay, but admittedly it's been years since I saw it!

The Virgin Suicide also springs to mind as existing in the same sort of thematic area, and of course the delightful Pleasantville.

Ah I remember being blown away by Pleasantville the first time I saw it. Was expecting a straight up fantasy fish out of water comedy but it turned out to be much more than that. Must give it a rewatch.

Jeff Daniels is great in that too!

mike65

Can be they be amusing?

Royal Tenenbaums
The Darjeeling Limited
Nobody's Fool

krudler

Mickeroo wrote: »

Ah I remember being blown away by Pleasantville the first time I saw it. Was expecting a straight up fantasy fish out of water comedy but it turned out to be much more than that. Must give it a rewatch.

Jeff Daniels is great in that too!

Love that movie, has a real BTTF vibe and has some great satire of the 50's era America and fear of the unknown. Great cast too, Joan Allen and Willam H Macy are excellent and JT Walsh is brilliant as ever as the self righteous villain, he's sorely missed when it comes to a movie needing a complete arsehole he always played them so well.

Would Little Miss Sunshine fall into the category? bout a family of oddballs who aren't really.

tunguska

Its hard to catagorise films like those alright, maybe you could call them existential dramas......Heres a few I've seen that would fall under that heading:

- Sideways
- The Tree of life
- Magnolia
- Michael clayton
- Lost in translation
- Garden state

Lamper.sffc

What about the House of Sand and Fog. Great movie

Baked.noodle

Delete

ThirdMan

Thanks for the recommendations guys!

Sad Professor

If you want suburban gothic, the quintessential cinematic example of it is David Lynch's Blue Velvet. A masterpiece and one of the best films of the '80s.

But if it's just general suburban alienation, middle-class malaise, etc that you are looking for then I can't recommend Todd Haynes's films enough, especially Safe and Far From Heaven, both with Julianne Moore. And his excellent 4-part mini-series Mildred Pierce with Kate Winslet.

If you liked American Beauty check out Revolutionary Road, also directed by Sam Mendes. It covers a lot of the same territory but better. It's sadly not nearly as great as the book (which also inspired Mad Men) but well worth watching.

And maybe check out John Cassavetes as well. I got a box set of his films a while ago and they are fantastic, especially A Woman Under the Influence, Faces and Husbands.

JP Liz V1

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

I'd always count Todd Field's Little Children in the same category as the two films mentioned in the OP - and personally I remember thinking it was a darker, more provocative take on suburban decay, but admittedly it's been years since I saw it!

The Virgin Suicide also springs to mind as existing in the same sort of thematic area, and of course the delightful Pleasantville.

I would also add Todd Field's first directed film In The Bedroom

Zeek12

There's an excellent Danish film called Festen which certainly fits the bill for a film about weird family life.

It focuses on a family celebration which takes an unexpected and disturbing turn. Although it's quite unsettling in parts, it's a really fascinating movie and the fact that it's filmed on a handycam, almost in the style of a documentary, adds to the suspense and makes it feel like an authentic snapshot into the life of this family.

bnt

I see Little Miss Sunshine got a mention - I think that would fit. Out on the weirder end of the scale, have a look at Secretary or Buffalo '66.

Also: after American Beauty, screenwriter Alan Ball went on to create the TV series Six Feet Under, which I can highly recommended for fans of his work on the film.

SmellMyWindow

Ghost World

Pretty good movie, proper romance as well, not your typical one where two incredibly good looking people fall in love, because they're both incredibly good looking. More one where they actually establish the characters well, outline each of their desires effectively and more importantly, they're actually drawn together because of their personalities, so that it's not ... well, boring. Pretty funny as well.

SmellMyWindow

Oh and yes, Little Miss Sunshine is a great movie, I would watch that if you haven't done so already.

upstairs for coffee

Zeek12 wrote: »

There's an excellent Danish film called Festen which certainly fits the bill for a film about weird family life.

It focuses on a family celebration which takes an unexpected and disturbing turn. Although it's quite unsettling in parts, it's a really fascinating movie and the fact that it's filmed on a handycam, almost in the style of a documentary, adds to the suspense and makes it feel like an authentic snapshot into the life of this family.

But the central theme is not so much about the family but the Danish way of life. I just watched it on Monday and it is a movie that condemns part of Danish society rather than focusing solely on the family life.

Corkfeen

Together by Lukas Moodyson, set during the seventies in Sweden and it's somewhat of a feel good movie but it also has an element of the unfamiliar infiltrating suburbia.

ThirdMan

upstairs for coffee wrote: »

But the central theme is not so much about the family but the Danish way of life.

American Beauty and The Ice Storm aren't really 'about the family'. The central themes are something else.

Have you seen American Beauty? If you have, how did you miss its central theme and still be able to interpret a much denser film like Festen?

upstairs for coffee

ThirdMan wrote: »

American Beauty and The Ice Storm aren't really 'about the family'. The central themes are something else.

Have you seen American Beauty? If you have, how did you miss its central theme and still be able to interpret a much denser film like Festen?

Never seen The Ice Storm so can't comment.

I don't believe that Festen is not about the family per say. In the movie it is about the family but the themes Vinterberg is exploring is much bigger than any family. Tell me what does the normal family viewer learn specifically about the family after watching the incestuous family in Festen? The movie is much bigger than that.

The ending shot when Michael asks Helge to leave the table is particularly notable. Michael the horrendous father, adulterer and racist is taking the moral highground. Michael returns to his seat, leaving the mother Elsie at the head of the table. Now as Christian has told us Elsie knew about the sexual abuse but did nothing. (She did however spare Michael and Helene the same fate by moving them to boarding school, out of the grasp of Helge) So the ending shot tells me at least, and I may be wrong, that the table occupied by racists (They all engaged i that racist song) and headed by a child sex abuse accomplice is morally ok, but they draw the line at sex abuse. The theme isn't about the family but Denmark is what I got from it

I have seen American Beauty and would I be wrong in saying that it is a condemnation of the repeated, cyclical, mundanes of suburban culture?

Zeek12

upstairs for coffee wrote: »

But the central theme is not so much about the family but the Danish way of life. I just watched it on Monday and it is a movie that condemns part of Danish society rather than focusing solely on the family life.

True, it was commenting on society, but the family relationships and dysfunction were an important part of making that commentary. For anyone who enjoys movies peering into abnormal family life, it's definitely one to watch.

WoollyRedHat

Often whether it be film or television or theater, a story that centers around the family is a commentary about society. That both the ice storm and American Beauty focus on the family is undeniable fact.

dark crystal

Check out Short Cuts by Robert Altman or [Safe] by Todd Haynes. Both great films which fit the criteria you're looking for.

Revolutionary Road is another film in a similar vein. Some disliked it, but I thought it was rather enjoyable.



Edit: Just noticed that Sad Professor has already mentioned two of my recommendations!

e_e

Tokyo Sonata

mikemac1

Big Fan

Middle aged guy, single, lives at home with his mother, boring low paid job and he drinks in dodgy bars. Pretty much a loser

His one passion and the only time he could make contributions was ranting on sports phone in shows about his beloved New York Giants.

Met his hero and left disappointed as often happens. And then descends into a world of his own and marks out another callers on sports talk radio shows as an enemy.

It's sad, it's depressing. Certainly not a happy ending but it's superb imo and very memorable.

Psychedelic

mikemac1 wrote: »

Big Fan

Middle aged guy, single, lives at home with his mother, boring low paid job and he drinks in dodgy bars. Pretty much a loser

His one passion and the only time he could make contributions was ranting on sports phone in shows about his beloved New York Giants.

Met his hero and left disappointed as often happens. And then descends into a world of his own and marks out another callers on sports talk radio shows as an enemy.

It's sad, it's depressing. Certainly not a happy ending but it's superb imo and very memorable.

Just watched it, very enjoyable.

The ending wasn't happy but it was a bit of a feel-good moment when it's revealed he didn't actually kill Philly Phil.

Joziburg

I would also add We need to talk about Kevin!

Joziburg

bnt wrote: »

I see Little Miss Sunshine got a mention - I think that would fit. Out on the weirder end of the scale, have a look at Secretary or Buffalo '66.

Also: after American Beauty, screenwriter Alan Ball went on to create the TV series Six Feet Under, which I can highly recommended for fans of his work on the film.

Agreed, an absolute must if you liked American Beauty is Six Feet Under - wonderful piece of work.

TheMollusc

I'm not sure if this is exactly what you're looking for but I feel it's worth mentioning Lars And The Real Girl.

The basic plot may sound a bit off but I actually thought it was a sweet little film. Worth giving a go at least I'd say!

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Not sure if this is what you're after but there's a film called Black Irish which is pretty much about a family. I remember liking it when I saw it but it's been a few years so I could be remembering it wrong.

Trailer here.... http://youtu.be/Jz3oMLr1Ows

corroonb

Lymelife is a lot like the Ice Storm and American Beauty. It's not great but it is watchable. It also has a period setting.

callaway92

Hard Candy maybe?