American Beauty Review
Published April 07, 2005
The first time I saw American Beauty it was the last in three consecutive weekend movie run. The other two films were Fight Club and Bringing Out the Dead. All three films are about men trying to come to terms to what it means to be a man in America in this day and age. Fight Club finds meaning in deconstructing everything down to base needs, feeling through pain. Bringing Out the Dead gives meaning to its character through drug use, but is was in American Beauty that I found some sense of hope.
In the film, Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) plays a middle aged, middle class suburbanite, with seemingly everything he could desire. He has a good, well paying job; a beautiful wife (Annette Bening); a large luxurious house; and a lovely daughter (Thora Birch). Yet, with all of this he is not happy. In fact, all of these things are not quite what they seem. His employer is facing cut backs, and he may soon lose his job. He marriage is in shambles, and his daughter openly hates him. Early, we see him masturbating in the shower, in narration; he states this is the highpoint of his day. All is not well in the house of Burnham.
All of this changes when Lester meets Angela (Mena Suvari), his daughter, Jane's gorgeous, cheerleader friend. On first seeing Angela during a cheer routine, Lester feel a special, lustful connection. Later that night, Lester overhears Angela playfully tell Jane that if he would only work out, he would be sexy. His lust over this teenage vixen becomes the catalyst for the film and Lester's very life.
Soon after Lester quits his job, in fact he bilks the company for a year's salary by threatening to disclose scandalous information that he has become privy to. He begins smoking pot, buys a hot rod.. He plays with remote control cars, takes a job at a fast food joint, and of course does start working out. In every way he reverts back to his teenage years. Even the soundtrack begins blaring out classic rock tunes from the 1970's. Finally after years, decades even, of feeling low, miserable, not alive, he feels great.
This reversion back to his glory days is only the beginning. It is a reversion back to the days when he had fun, when he felt alive. But he is not a man who will stop there. This is just a beginning point to a life long conversion of living a full life, as opposed to a life full of the right things, but that is ultimately empty. Or it would be if he was not shortly dead (this is not nearly the spoiler you might think it is, for Lester announced his death within the first minutes of the film.) Towards the end of the film we can see that Lester is already outgrowing his childish behavior. When he yells at his daughter, he immediately feels the sting of regret. When given the chance to indulge in his lusts, he backs away, understanding that it is not right. Just as the music changed to classic rock with the first change, here it has changed again, turning into the same classic rock being covered by newer, contemporary artists.
Mat Brewster is an American stumbling as an ex-pat through the streets of Shanghai. He is helped by his lovely wife and an enormous piles of bootleg DVDs. He is chronicling his adventures in the Shanghai Diaries and musing on pop culture at The Midnight Cafe.
- American Beauty Review
- Published: April 07, 2005
- Type: Review
- Section: Video
- Filed Under: Review
- Writer: Mat Brewster
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Comments on this articleComments
very nice Mat, I agree with Quack and you that on paper this should be jsut about everything I dislike in a movie, but it casts a spell. Great point about the oddness of hope as prevaling mood in a tale of such perverse bleakness
COunt me in. I bought the DVD, even though I consider much of the film to be completely superficial and falsely stereotypical. It may be crap, but it's really well-made and engaging crap.
Thanks folks. What I didn't mention in the review was that at the time of watching it I myself was going through a "who am I/what is my place in the world" phase. The three films mentioned seemed to be talking directly to me. Where Fight Club nailed me right in the solar plexus, American Beauty offered some hope to finding beauty in this life.
Watching it again, it doesn't seem quite so life changing, and much of it seems, well false, but it was still thoroughly engaging, and enjoyable.
I found this movie amazing in content, concept, and bold defiance for all that is politically correct. As a teenager, my future looming over me, as well as all the expectations for excellence, it is refreshing to see a movie about all things going to hell, and yet someone managing to find their own personal emotional oasis in the midst of a desert of chaos once again.
As a recovered victim of depression and suicidal tendancies, it is also wonderfull to see such a fresh outlook on life and death. Many times throughout my existence I have pondered the two states of being, the various views, and which state is desireable over the other. I was not so much happy to hear the view of Lester Burnham, however, I am a strong believer in gray matter, and it only seems just that even in death, there be no black and white.
Yes, none of the behaviors were healthy, or beneficial to anyone, long-term. However, to see someone break out of the shell society so cruelly sets around us, and cut loose, and take what THEY want to learn from it instead of what everyone else tells them to, is refreshing, and in ways bitter-sweet.
Thanks for your comment Audrey. The first time I saw the movie I would have agreed with you heartily. I was in a kind of personal funk myself, and it was refreshing to see people doing what they wanted.
Its just seeing it a second time I was in a much better position in life and the selfishness in some of the characters actions stood out a little more.
This movie is amazing.
I don't think it's crap at all..I think it makes perfect sense.
It is real, and not sterotypical. I've seen it with my own eyes.
I don't know how anyone could not like this movie..the bird scene, the bag scene, and the end scene are just..they are so beautiful.
Simply brilliant, I saw this movie on TV while flipping through the channels. I'd never heard about it before so you can imagine how I was absolutely floored by this movies unmitigated fondling of human emotions. The opening scene looked like this was one of those feel good movies that leave you feeling good but are often so cliche it hurts (I was hooked even before we got into the Burnham household because it looked like my type of movie). BUT not American beauty, this is a stereotypical yet unpredictable tale of life that leaves you satisfied but at the same time like theres something wrong with something... somewhere but you don't know what or where it is because it can't be the movie because this movie is simply brilliant.
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I'm not a fan of 'American Beauty', yet I've seen it more times than films I consider to be far better. So there's something in it that I can't quite figure out. There are the little things, like the acting (which you pointed out), and the score and the visual style. But I think you nail the major elusive quality in your first paragraph. 'American Beauty', despite being so much about death, is full of hope. Lester even dies in, what I presume is, a state of happiness and understanding. Maybe that's what keeps me coming back. (But I still donut like the film!)
Aside from all that, good review. Your analysis seems so effortless and fluid. I agree about the Colonal, too. His character detracts and distracts from the film.