American Beauty essay prep
American Beauty PREEEEEEEP
Themes
Happiness
Exists as an myth, goal (illusion)
All the characters want to achieve it
They all have different thoughts and beliefs of what happiness is and how to achieve it
Lester Burnham
Pursues happiness by reaching out to his true desires and ignoring what the society (mostly his wife) has to say
In the end he realizes that he found true happiness, however he took it to a significant extent, by doing drugs, smoking pot, getting a cheap job, seeking a sexual affair with a 15-year-old
His determination to achieve happiness has blinded him, he is willing to do anything to achieve happiness
American Beauty
“The joy in life is his who has the heart to demand it.” The 1999 American drama film, American Beauty, directed by Sam Mendes is about a man’s, Lester Burnham’s, search for happiness. In the film Sam Mendes develops the idea that to secure the satisfaction of self-fulfillment, one must pursue inner happiness to achieve completeness in their life. Initially, Lester has no happiness in his life and he is denied by the society and family. However, he decides to take a stand and reach out to his inner happiness. In the end, Lester achieves the happiness that he has been seeking.
At the beginning of the film, Lester Burnham is in a mid-life crisis which is mostly caused by his wife, Carolyn, and daughter, Jane. He is inferior to his wife and daughter. They think of him as a loser, which he admits he is, “Both my wife and daughter think I’m a gigantic loser… they are right.” Sam Mendes uses camera angles to show authority. At the start, Carolyn is looking down at Lester when he is picking up the papers, this shows that his wife has authority over him. Every day for Lester is the same. He goes to work and then comes home to have dinner with the same Lawrence Welk music playing and with the same people who hate him. Lester has a loveless relationship with his wife, he did not share intimacy with her instead he
Themes
Happiness
Exists as an myth, goal (illusion)
All the characters want to achieve it
They all have different thoughts and beliefs of what happiness is and how to achieve it
Lester Burnham
Pursues happiness by reaching out to his true desires and ignoring what the society (mostly his wife) has to say
In the end he realizes that he found true happiness, however he took it to a significant extent, by doing drugs, smoking pot, getting a cheap job, seeking a sexual affair with a 15-year-old
His determination to achieve happiness has blinded him, he is willing to do anything to achieve happiness
American Beauty
“The joy in life is his who has the heart to demand it.” The 1999 American drama film, American Beauty, directed by Sam Mendes is about a man’s, Lester Burnham’s, search for happiness. In the film Sam Mendes develops the idea that to secure the satisfaction of self-fulfillment, one must pursue inner happiness to achieve completeness in their life. Initially, Lester has no happiness in his life and he is denied by the society and family. However, he decides to take a stand and reach out to his inner happiness. In the end, Lester achieves the happiness that he has been seeking.
At the beginning of the film, Lester Burnham is in a mid-life crisis which is mostly caused by his wife, Carolyn, and daughter, Jane. He is inferior to his wife and daughter. They think of him as a loser, which he admits he is, “Both my wife and daughter think I’m a gigantic loser… they are right.” Sam Mendes uses camera angles to show authority. At the start, Carolyn is looking down at Lester when he is picking up the papers, this shows that his wife has authority over him. Every day for Lester is the same. He goes to work and then comes home to have dinner with the same Lawrence Welk music playing and with the same people who hate him. Lester has a loveless relationship with his wife, he did not share intimacy with her instead he