Shortly after the release of the American Beauty soundtrack -- which featured tantalizing excerpts from
Thomas Newman's music bookending a collection of pop songs -- came the release of the full score. From the film's haunting main theme and "Any Other Name" to the witty, percussive "Dead Already," "Choking the Bishop," and "Mr. Smarty Man,"
Newman's score evokes as much feeling and humor as the film itself does. Even more so than the first volume of the soundtrack, the score from American Beauty is a necessity for the movie's fans. ~ Heather Phares