American Beauty is a compelling story about the triviality of the mundane suburban lifestyle, and the impact that the main character has on the people around him whilst trying to escape the confines of his “perfect life”, consisting of mindless conformity. With a powerful performance from all the main actors and a beautiful soundtrack, it will resonate with you, even weeks after watching due to the tragic nature of the events that unfold.
Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is a heartbreakingly pitiful man trapped in a loveless marriage to the cold and frigid Carolyn Burnham (Annette Bening) whom he despises. He exists in a state of miserable silence that has developed between him and his distant and insecure teenage daughter Jane Burnham (Thora Birch). One night, Jane reluctantly introduces her parents to her attractive friend, Angela (Mena Suvari) and it is obvious – even to Jane, that Lester finds her enchanting; she has awoken him from the numbness of his repetitive routine.
It is important to understand the dynamic between the friendship Angela and Jane have, and how it develops throughout the movie. In the beginning, it is clear that Angela is the more confident one who attracts the attention of the opposite sex. However, with the introduction of the character Ricky (Wes Bentley), the mysterious kid that moves next door to Jane, Angela’s confidence is shattered as he seems to only have eyes for her shy best friend; an entirely new concept that she is unfamiliar with. Sam Mendez has stated that in the beginning of the film, he asked Thora Birch to wear more makeup and gradually tone it down towards the end of the film, and he asked the opposite of Mena Suvari. This is to physically symbolise their inner conflict with the acceptance of themselves the way they are. Angela’s parents are conveniently absent in the film, and there is no mention of them whatsoever. Maybe this is why she so desperately craves the attention and approval off men… because she never had that from her parents.
Wes Bentley, who plays Ricky, is perhaps the most underrated performance of the entire film. He was able to play one character that had two completely different sides to him. He wears a “tough guy”, confident, drug dealer mask to the rest of the world, and only to Jane and his father do we see the real weak and vulnerable boy that feels so deeply. This is perfectly exemplified in the scene where he shows Jane the dancing bag.
Ricky Fitts and his family are also perfect illustrations of a seemingly normal suburban family that hides so deceitfully behind a mask of happiness. His father, Colonel Frank Fitts, played so intensely by Chris Cooper, projects his issues onto his son, beating him unmercifully until he bleeds. Once Col. Fitts had no one to funnel his problems into anymore, he turned to Lester for acceptance, but was rejected. Desolate and afraid of his own self, he turned to the one thing that has felt right for him in his background with the army; violence.
Carolyn Burnham is a woman who has been ensnared by the concept of the “ideal” family and lifestyle. She strives for perfection, either not realising that she has rid her life of any pleasure in the process or just completely sacrificing it in her quest to be faultless. When Lester brings her perfect world crashing down around her, the way she derails privately while still trying to keep this illusion to everyone else is perhaps one the most interesting cases of acting I have ever seen; the pure emotion in Annette Bening’s enactment was flawless.
The soundtrack also brilliantly captures the emotion of the film with its hauntingly beautiful original scores composed by Thomas Newman. During the final scene, whilst “American Beauty” is playing and Lester is narrating how his life flashed before his eyes, the music is so imperative to the impact this scene has on the audience; because it makes you realise how desolate the movie really is. Lester has finally truly escaped the tedium of the suburban lifestyle, only to have it cruelly ripped away from him. But it is within death he finally finds the peace he has been longing for, and discovers the beauty in his “stupid little life”.
Final Narration – Lester Burnham: I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me… but it’s hard to stay mad, when there’s so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I’m seeing it all at once, and it’s too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that’s about to burst… And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can’t feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life… You have no idea what I’m talking about, I’m sure. But don’t worry… you will someday.
Most Intense Scene
Faith Shaboo-Meere 