Review 502: American Beauty

American Beauty is a beautifully made and touchingly sad drama film, anchored by a superbly written script by Alan Ball, sublime direction from Sam Mendes and fantastic performances from its cast.

Lester Bernham (Kevin Spacey) is a 42-year-old advertising executive who becomes disillusioned with his life and begins to hunger for fresh excitement in his life. He becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter Jane's (Thora Birch) best friend Angela (Mena Suvari). As Lester begins to get out and about, his materialistic wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) and Jane also undergo their own changes that seriously affect the family and those around them.

The plot is poignant, multilayered and deeply affecting. Several critics have described this film being about "the meaning of life" or "the hollow existence of the American suburbs". Mendes himself has remained indecisive about this and claims that the original script seemed to be about something different every time he read it calling it: "a mystery story, a kaleidoscopic journey through American suburbia, a series of love stories. That it was a story about imprisonment, loneliness and beauty.
It was funny; it was angry and sad.

It's also a story about sexuality, repression, materialism, self-liberation, imprisonment, redemption, loneliness and beauty.

Imprisonment and Redemption: Director Sam Mendes has described this film as being a rite of passage film about imprisonment and escape from imprisonment.
The monotony of Lester's existence at the start of the film is established through his gray, nondescript workplace and characterless costumes. In these scenes, Mendes frames his reflection in a computer monitor as if he were trapped behind bars.
The film becomes about Lester's rebellion: His sexual awakening through his meeting of Angela is the first of several turning points as he begins to "throw off the responsibilities of the comfortable life he's come to despise."

Conformity and Beauty: American Beauty makes a strong argument against conformity, but doesn't deny that people need and want it:

Sexuality and Repression: Academic and author Jody W. Pennington argues that American Beauty defines its characters through their sexuality. Lester's attempts to relive his youth are a direct result of his lust for Angela and the state of his relationship with Carolyn is in part shown through their lack of sexual contact. Carolyn is equally sexually frustrated and has an affair that takes her from "cold perfectionist" to a more carefree soul who "sings happily along with" music in her car.

In a scene where Carolyn catches Lester masturbating, his angry retort about their lack of intimacy is the first time he says aloud what he thinks about her. By confronting the issue and Carolyn's superficial investments in others, Lester is trying to regain his voice in a home that only respects the voices of the mother and the daughter.


Director Sam Mendes direction is excellent, the cinematography is beautiful and expertly captures the peaceful compositions to evoke classism which contrast with the films turbulent onscreen events. The score by Thomas Newman is beautifully and makes alluring use of percussion instruments to create mood and rhythm. The production design is marvellous, the costumes are fabulous,

The acting is all marvellous

Kevin Spacey

Annette Bening

Thora Birch  To quote Spacey's Lester Burnham: "Jane's a pretty typical teenager, insecure, confused."

At first, Angela seems like an unlikely best friend for Jane, but as the film progresses it becomes apparent that she is not her friend and

Wes Bentley, Ricky is very much a visionary with a spiritual and mystical centre. He sees beauty in the minutiae of everyday life, videoing as much as he can for fear of missing it.

Chris Cooper

Allison Janny  She's only in a handful of scenes and has very few lines but Janny that silence to great effect to convey her characters pain and repression problems

5/5.

The Anonymous Critic.