American Beauty

American Beauty, directed by Sam Mendes in 1999, is one of the best and most unique films I have ever seen. One of the opening scenes of the movie starts with a view of Lester Burnham, his attractive, blonde wife Carolyn Burnham and their daughter Janie and what seems to be what seems to be the Burnhams picture perfect life and picture perfect marriage. The suburban house with the clean cut lawn and perfect garden, white picket fence, the oak trees lining the street, the two cars parked in the driveway, typical ordinary suburban neighborhood. But what Mendes emphasizes throughout the film is to look closer, and it will be clear that nothing is as it seems, there is always more to the story then what appears on the surface. No one is perfect, even a rose has its thorns.

American Beauty's main focus is on the threesome which is the Burnhams family. He delves into each of their characters until we truly get the closest look at them possible, as the film unfolds each being's true beauty, or lack of, emerges. Each of the characters in this film are so consumed in trying to fit into the life and project the image that they're supposedly living, that they're unable to be happy.

The movie begins with the shot of a young teenage girl, Janie, through a video-camera. She's talking about how she wants her father dead, that he's a pervert who's in love with all of her little friends, stating that he's not a role model. She's portrayed somewhat goth, evil, unaffectionate and pretty emotionless. In the next scene it becomes clear that it is Lester speaking through the over head, and that he is already dead. This is very interesting because it implies that the following scenes have already taken place, and leads the viewers to believe that it is Janie who kills him. But by the end of the film it is shown that this image is not at all what it appears to be.

Carolyn is prime example of appearing to be something she is not. Driven real estate agent, mother and wife (well, technically), who is completely consumed by the importance of projecting and maintaining the perfect image. Living by the words of the "Real Estate King" who stated "to be successful one must always put forward an image of success." As Lester states in a make-fun sort of way, it was not an accident that "the handles on her pruning sheers match her gardening gloves.