So many misunderstandings

Rating: 10/10 (1 September 2001)

My apologies for posting a second commentary on this film, and for including *SPOILERS* (Warning Warning Warning). I loved "American Beauty", but I can see why some others did not.
Other reviewers, both pro and con, argue about whether certain people "got" the film or not. With a movie this complex, I believe it is possible to "get" the film on many different levels. Those whose understandings stayed on the surface, with the events happening onscreen, are the ones describing "American Beauty" as primarily a "comedy" or a "whodunnit." On the other hand, those who were able to delve deeper into the character interactions and the intricacies of their developments over the course of the film tend to be the ones hailing "American Beauty" as a masterpiece. I will agree that, solely as a comedy or a murder mystery, the film is far from exceptional. I can even see why people viewing it in these terms described it as "dull" or "boring". The murder isn't meant to be suspenseful, which is why it is revealed far in advance through Lester's narration. The identity of the murderer is relatively unimportant. Focusing too much attention on trying to solve the crime will likely detract from the real meat of the film; on the other hand, viewers able to "look closer" and observe the transformations of the characters will see much more action and substance.
I'll grant that characters like Lester and Caroline are, overall, somewhat unlikeable. But I disagree with anyone who calls them "unrelatable". Only someone steeped in denial, or those rare few who truly are at peace with themselves and the world around them, could miss identifying with at least a few of these characters' flaws and neuroses. Who doesn't feel depressed, or frustrated, or hopeless at times? Who doesn't wish they could drop their pretenses and better connect with, become closer to, the other people around them?
On some more specific issues:
Is Lester a pedophile? Surprisingly, I would argue that he is not. In his conversation with Ricky about the long-lost summers of his teenage years, he begins to realize what he has lost from his life. Though he had spent whole summers flipping burgers, he'd still had a lot of fun, something which is now sorely lacking from his life. This realization begins his regression back to his teenage self. He drops his stifling office job in favor of his old vocation, fast food; he buys the car he always wanted as a teenager; he goes back to smoking pot; and, he lusts after a 17-year-old. In many ways, he has become a teenager himself, mentally (and to a certain extent physically as well, after he begins exercising and loses his middle-aged belly). He regresses back to when he could still enjoy his life, before responsibilities and societal constraints had put so many restrictions on his life.
Did Colonel Fitts murder Lester because he spurned his advances? That wasn't how I saw it. Lester's rejection of the Colonel, gentle as it may have been, snapped Col. Fitts out of his momentary vulnerability, and brought back the shame and confusion over under which he lives most of his life. For a moment, right after the final, explosive confrontation with his son, the Colonel actually let his guard down long enough to reveal his secret to Lester. When lester rejected him, besides being hurt, the Colonel's defenses slammed down again and he reacted to this emotionally charged situation just as he had previously with his son: through violence. No explanation is ever given for Mrs. Fitts' psychic catatonia, but it seems consistent with being the spouse of a repressed individual who can only respond to emotional stress with his fists.
After I first saw "American Beauty", I was impressed with the magic that Lester works on the people around him. In their interactions, he spreads openness and honesty (and even catharsis) almost like a virus. Once he receives the seeds of this self-realization from Ricky, he attempts to pass it to Caroline (who shows hope, momentarily, during their scene on the couch, but later rejects his ideals). He passes it to Angela, who has just had a particularly scathing argument with Ricky and Jane; she breaks down in his arms, admitting her secret and her insecurities. He even touches the Colonel with this catalyst, however briefly. But the Colonel is the least ready to accept this sort of change, and as mentioned above, he responds very badly to it.
Clearly, not everyone in the world is at a stage where they can cope with, or even achieve, this kind of self-awareness. This reviewer can honestly say that he is not, though he aspires to be. There is always hope, as Lester expresses in his closing narration; even if you don't yet know how to find the beauty in everything you see and do, "Don't worry. You will, someday."