American Beauty

Rating: 9/10 (13 May 2008)

American Beauty is about hope, love, freedom, depression, and family. Lester Burham is presented as a depressed, common man who is unhappy with his job and his life at home. He comes across as a bit of a 'loser' as his wife and daughter think this and walk all over him. The wife Carolyn is a ambitious business woman who seeks success and only cares about that as she thinks it will gain her happiness. Underneath it all, she's innocent to what she really has in her life but can't see it as she thinks too positively about business. The daughter Jane is an insecure, confused girl who resents her father for not being there for her. As the story goes on, she falls in love with the boy next door as he understands her.
After having enough of living a miserable, slave-like life. Lester decides to make a few changes in his life which will make him happier. The more free he gets, the happier he gets. Turning from a loser to living the American dream, Lester starts to remember his good times as a teenager. He quits his soul less job and starts to stick up for himself when his wife tries to take control of him. Much to Carolyn's anger, Lester starts to gain freedom in his life more then she does.
The ending is a great twist how it demonstrates that Lester is truly happy that he once had a joyful, yet happy family he was grateful for and that he has 'Beauty' in his life that is Carolyn when she was younger used to be different and in love and this movie gives the real established view of everyday life.