Astronomically true to its title

Rating: 10/10 (20 April 2012)

The moral and ethical simplicity of American Beauty is absolutely stunning seeing as it such a powerful and moving film. It is dark, yet it shines a light on the social misfits of America, those embodying a person they are dissatisfied with, and those feeling worthless or unwanted. It is a tragedy in some sense, but it is also a very poignant satire on the modern American suburbia. If you're one of the many misfits in the world, American Beauty is your shoutout.
The plot is defined by the film's abundance of interesting and versatile characters, almost all of them stuck in a life they do not want to live. Our lead character is Lester Burnham (Spacey) a forty-two year old magazine writer, entering a midlife crisis and occupying an incorruptible hatred for his job and the ignorance possessed by his wife Carolyn (Bening) and daughter Jane (Birch). "I'll be dead in a year" claims Lester in the first few moments of the film. "In a way, I'm dead already" he will go on to say.
Tired of the trite and ordinary life he is living, he gets a curveball when he meets Jane's best friend Angela (Suvari), an unrealistically attractive teenager, promiscuous and blunt in her dialect and fashion. Lester is shamelessly smitten with her upon their first encounter, and Angela knows it all too well. She treasures the idea that other men fantasize about having sex with her, despite having no prior relationship or knowledge. She feels it will only assist her career as a model. Pay close attention to the scene in the gymnasium. It is rather detailed and cinematically intelligent.
In the meantime, Carolyn, a real-estate agent, has begun her rebellion by flirting and dancing with her main competition. Buddy Kane (Gallagher), a self-righteous, cocky man who gives her what her husband can't; safety, comfort, relaxation, and sex. A lot of it. Lester's rebellion starts when he quits his job and takes about eight steps down to the world of a fry-cook at a fast food joint. Jane's story of rebellion involves Ricky (Bentley), her neighbor who continues to videotape their interactions and spy on her persistently. At first, she is irritated, but begins to see Ricky for what he really is worth. He admires beauty in the way we all should. He sees simplicity as a treasure and feels it is taken for granted far too much. His upbringing has been rather heavy with an abusive bigot for a father and an uninvolved caricature for a mother. Not only is Ricky a passionate humanist and realist, but an avid drug dealer and pot smoker. There is a great scene in the film where him and Lester cut loose and smoke a joint together. This is where Lester's tale of rebellion and lawlessness comes into play.
Over the years, American Beauty has been interpreted a number of different ways by a number of different people. It's almost as if the film occupies too much ambiguity, but it's subtle and reclusive in its efforts, making the film seem so basic and linear. I believe it is not only a tale of rebellion, but a tale of life appreciation and a reiteration of the moral "Carpe diem." Upon finishing the film, I was distinctly reminded of the quote from Ferris Bueller's Day Off "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." We are constantly rushed, hurried, and flustered everyday, we hardly appreciate the serene and intricate aspects life throws at us. "Who has the time?" we might ask ourselves. American Beauty shows us it's the most simplistic things in life that are worth appreciating. Like a paper bag floating aimlessly in the air because of a modest wind gust. There is yet another wonderful shot in the film where Ricky is shooting a video through Jane's window. Angela is seductively dancing to taunt and satisfy him, but the camera zooms past her and in on a reflection of Jane's sad, lonely face. Rarely can a film accompany beautiful loneliness, but somehow, director Sam Mendes did in an earnest way, without being cheeky or bombastic. It's so crafty and subtle you may have missed it.
Another moral I can find is the isolation and imprisonment many of the characters feel. In one scene, very early in the film, we see Lester masturbating, enclosed in the shower. "It's the brightest part of my day" he states, but is it because he is providing himself with pleasure or because he's alone and safe? One shot I missed when watching the film was the scene where Lester's reflection in his computer screen looks as if he is imprisoned and sheltered from the real world. This is the part of American Beauty where it is keenly depressing. The three main emotions I felt during the film were happiness, depression, and vaguely present optimism. We already know the conclusion, but we can only hope we are wrong.
American Beauty is exactly what it is. A beautiful, heartwarming drama, providing us with witty, affectionate characters, a slick script, and exquisite directing and cinematography (credited to the late Conrad L. Hall). It is a drama of integrity, appeal, intelligence, soul, and humanism. Why can't they all be this wonderful? Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Chris Cooper, and Allison Janney. Directed by: Sam Mendes.