In “American Beauty” a tribute to domestic tranquility (not), Kevin Spacey plays Lester Burnham, archetype white suburban male deep into his mid-life crisis depression. He’s had it with his job, his wife, in fact, pretty much his entire life. As with many men so afflicted, he went and bought the car of his dreams. “1970 Pontiac Firebird, the car [he’s] always wanted.” His less than accepting wife (played by Annette Bening) is the root of much of his anger at life, and when she shows her disdain at this recent choice, Lester needs no further motivation to assert his dominance. The last two words of this clip pretty much sum up his self-satisfaction.

It’s a rather grim movie, but this scene just makes me smile, and not just because of the remote control jeep!