Man
is the acting author of his
life and history. This statement seems to
be one of two major themes of the thought-provoking American
Beauty.
The second theme is that beauty is more than what meets the eye. The
film is filled with various symbolisms and its appropriate tagline:
“Look Closer”. However, loaded with philosophical statements, the
film seems to ask the viewer to also: “Listen Attentively”.
American
Beauty
is a captivating film about a “typical” American
family. At face
value, the Burnhams are a
perfect family. They have a picturesque
garden and a lovely home in suburbia where everything seems to be in
place. However, things are not always what they seem. Lester Burnham,
played by Kevin Spacey, is a man who works for an advertising company
and has lost control of his job, relationships, and even his own
life! He is married to a power-hungry wife, Carolyne (Annete Benning)
and they have an insecure daughter named Jane (Thora Birch). Lester
met two people who changed his perspective on life. First, he met his
daughter’s friend, Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari) whom he fell
instantly attracted to, perceiving her to be the living embodiment of
“ultimate
happiness”. Then, he met his neighbor’s son, Ricky
Fitts (Wes Bentley) who became his hero because of the youngster’s
unflappable confidence. These two people catalyzed the change in
Lester, enabling him to take control of his “sedated” life. Thus,
American
Beauty
became man’s search for true happiness and beauty in life. Lester
thought that beauty is found in Angela. Carolyne believed that
happiness is in being excellent and powerful. Jane assumed that
beauty is in having a great body while Angela perceived happiness as
being cool. With these series of misconceptions, Lester thought of
his happy-go-lucky youth and was slowly reliving it as he fantasized
about Angela, took a job in a fast food chain, and played with his
toy car among others. His reconstruction further frustrated Carolyne
who decided to have an affair with her business rival. Jane, who is
insecure of her looks and the lack of attention from her parents,
turned to Ricky who appreciated Jane’s unconventional beauty. A
chain of misunderstood events eventually led to Lester’s tragic,
yet liberating end.
I
was emotionally involved in the film because it “hit home”. Each
of us has his own set of insecurities, but we try so hard to appear
“perfect”, to cover up all the skeletons in our closets. I was
able to empathize with the characters because they were so real. At
some point, I can see myself in Lester, Carolyne, Jane, or even
Ricky! Also, I was glued to my seat the whole time because the film
captured my interest and concentration. At first, I thought that
Frank Fitts, Ricky’s US Marine father, was just a minor character
in the movie, as a harsh disciplinarian. It turns out that he would
play a key role as Lester’s killer. Frank was also portrayed as a
homophobe and a “faggot”-hater, but I was right in my guess, that
it was a form of projection because deep down, he is a closet gay. It
was also suprising to find out that the “normal people” in the
film were the gay couple, the two Jims and the drug dealer, Ricky.
This actually jives coherently with the movie’s theme that looks
can be deceiving. In addition, important scenes such as Ricky and
Jane’s relationship and the “final encounter” between Lester
and Angela were emphasized.
The
narrative was beautifully crafted beginning with Lester’s
commentary about his dull existence and ending with his voice over
just before he dies. In the introduction, Lester reveals his
impending
death, making the audience more attentive to the events
leading to it. All throughout the movie, there was a certain suspense
as to how Lester was killed or who killed him eventually.
Furthermore, Angela’s admission of her virginity awakened Lester
from his rebellious trance, which enabled him to appreciate the
li
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