An American beauty.

Rating: Null/10 (3 April 2013)

In our quest for the meaning of life, we seem to follow rules that society decides for us; the American Dream, an ideology that rarely needs an introduction, an ideology that has been around for years. Hollywood in its ever powerful influence surely plays a large part in its circulation, connotation, and popularity. Men and women searching for happiness and the American Dream, or the perfect life, will always have a secret to hide and I therefore invite you to "look closer" at American Beauty – one of my favourite films – so that you can witness Hollywood's rebellious example.
In a world full of misinterpretations of how people live their lives, and decisions we choose which guide us down saddening paths, should we not just stop for a moment and recognise that there's more to life than chasing what we believe to be happiness? A perfect example of looking at the world differently can be taken from American Beauty, in the scene where Rickey Fits describes to Jane why he videotapes everything he finds interesting;
"It was one of those days when it's a minute away from snowing and there's this electricity in the air, you can almost hear it. Right? And this bag was just dancing with me. Like a little kid begging me to play with it. For fifteen minutes. That's the day I realised that there was this entire life behind things, and this incredibly benevolent force that wanted me to know there was no reason to be afraid, ever. Video's a poor excuse, I know. But it helps me remember I need to remember Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can't take it, and my heart is just going to cave in."
Hollywood has glamorised the American Dream for many years; it's why it's called a Dream. It is an idea rather than a reality, and Hollywood utilises this idea because it is of course what people want, what people wish their lives were. However, at some point the Dream stopped being just that, it became a goal and the main focus of people's lives, and the once happy families began to fall into a deeply suppressed form of existence, a polished exterior with the once desire to be happy, now just an act.
What's so special about American Beauty is its ability to balance the portrayal of these ideas of happiness, and with that balance it's able to appeal to all levels of human behaviour. Lust, betrayal, love, repression, sadness, happiness and joy are all here in their various forms.
Carolyn Burnham, a struggling realtor, trying to live the suburban life and allowing others to believe she's living the American Dream through perfecting everything she does, of course eventually cracks under the repression and breaks free with an affair with Buddy King, her main competitor. Her daughter Jane Burnham is the wild card that forces her corrupted parents to finally look at themselves and see who they are. Her bluntness and ability to point out the elephant in the room provides Leicester and Carolyn the realisation that they've grown apart, severely. Now Leicester Burnham, a middle aged man, breaks free from his repressed way of life and begins his intense fascination over Angela Hayes, his daughter's school friend. His new approach to life is a controversial topic; there's always a right and wrong, but the line can be so transparent, you can sometimes walk straight over it.
I will not condone his lustfulness towards Angela, as it is of course inappropriate, but the release of joy on his face when he realises he can still feel passion? That is worth being discredited for. It is in that scene, where the rose petals begin falling on him from his bedroom ceiling that an innocent, boyish expression defines his release from a repressed lifestyle.
Throughout American Beauty many people watching find reasons to feel disgust and hate towards the characters in the film; they are flawed, but they are human, they are who we are, and we shouldn't be as closed minded as to simply look and see only what we want to see, or indeed, what we don't want to see. American Beauty is beautiful, it's the perfect representation of reality sealed with a Hollywood budget.