I know that a lot of people have already said this, but it's one of my favourites. I will never forget the first time I wacthed it I was in 8th grade alone in my basement at like 3 am. and I was freaking out. Everything about it is perfect to me. The Director (Also did the movie Pi- good one too) is just amazing. The guy who did the music Clint Mansell, I met him, and he is just so awesome in all the music he does. The acting and all of that is great! I commend the person on the thread who read the book though, it is a very hard and difficult book to read. I just wanted to mention this though: ONe of the thigns that the director and writer said the movie was about was the failure of the American dream. IT was about the central charachters who believed that because of America and what it was they woudl be able to rise above what they were and become something greater and in the end it failed them all. I don't know if that's a happy ending, like someone said earlier, but it's damn good and depressing.
I just got it form my library and I haven't watched it yet but it looks good.....the only thing that is weirding is, on the box it says edited version....is that going to be a lot different from the original, anyone know?
A word on the "edited" version also the "R-rated version" or "Theater version" it is not as good, because the end is much less intense. The Director's cut which in unrated, but deemed NC-17 when they tried to put it in theaters, is not drastically different. It has some extra footage which is a little more graphic but in a good way, it is much more emotional and real in my opinion.