I think Jingus touched on this up above, but putting the entire plot/character/etc of American Beauty aside, it's a fucking drop dead gorgeous movie. Just impeccably shot by Mendes and the late and lamented Conrad Hall.
I haven't seen Beauty since it was still fairly new, but I vividly remember seeing it at the Ideal Theater in Clare, Michigan with my older sister, about half full, and the two of us being the only two people laughing at the movie. We laughed constantly throughout it, and we got a bunch of weird looks when as we were leaving. Jillian looked at me and said "it was a comedy, right?" I certainly thought so as well, but we were the only two people there who did, apparently.
Anyway, I liked it then, can't say how I'd feel about it now.
I also like Office Space though, so, hey, whatever.