The thirteen-year-old hero (Ethan Randall) and his kid sister (Thora Birch) conspire to reunite their divorced parents (Harley Jane Kozak and Jamey Sheridan) on Christmas Eve.

NEWYORKER: All I Want for Christmas

Their daughter Jane, played with mature confidence by Thora Birch, is emotionally removed from them and is just serving time until she can escape the confines of her homelife.

CNN: Review: 'American Beauty' is just that

The defeated suburban patriarch Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), condemned by his withdrawn daughter (Thora Birch) and his hyperorganized wife (Annette Bening), drops out of his job and misbehaves badly.

NEWYORKER: American Beauty

Best performance by an actress in a musical or comedy motion picture: Kidman, Thora Birch ("Ghost World"), Cate Blanchett ("Bandits"), Reese Witherspoon ("Legally Blonde") and Renee Zellweger ("Bridget Jones's Diary").

CNN: Globes: 'Beautiful,' 'Moulin' golden