After viewing the movie American Beauty viewers can see how true beauty throughout life is depicted in all stages of life

Rating: 10/10 (2 May 2010)

After viewing the movie American Beauty viewers can see how true beauty throughout life is depicted in all stages of life. The theme of the film is that not all things in life are what they seem to be. The main character Lester Burnham played by Kevin Spacey experiences a mid-life crisis caused by a daunting, needy wife Carolyn Burnham played by Annette Benning and a rebellious yet insecure daughter Jane played by Thora Birch. Lester becomes infatuated with Angela, Jane's friend and a major lifestyle change occurs to gain some form of sexual, flirtatious relationship with her. The movie begins with a voice-over and Lester is masturbating in the shower and this is the highlight of the day. You know right from the beginning that Lester is a man of hardship, sadness, and is missing an important element in his life. He knows deep down that something is missing, but what? He realizes what it is when meeting Angela for the first time outside the school gymnasium.
This movie unravels the truth and hidden truths about suburban life in America and how the typical middle class American carries with it dark, sexual, and unconventional life secrets that many are too ashamed to share. Lester breaks the mold of conventional families and finds himself freeing himself of the burdens of life in suburbia and a family who just pretends to be happy. The truth is Lester's cynical wife Carolyn has her own fantasies and seductive admirations of breaking the vows of marriage.
In comparison to theme, this movie resembles that of the movie Crash. I say this because in both movies people are give a social stature to live by and many are judged on appearance alone. In the movie American Beauty, Lester is judged by the where he resides and being a typical family man with a loving wife and daughter, but you discover quickly that this stereotype is untrue of the Burnham family. In the movie Crash people are judged based on the ethnicity and skin type. It is discovered in the end that all ethnicities are judged and characterized by all and that we all intertwine into each other's lives and make decisions that will eventually crash into one another.
American Beauty signifies the true beauty in people and what many long for throughout their lives. Though Lester plays a character of negativity, you can only assume that he eventually founds some happiness in the last year of his life. American Beauty proves that not all things in life are what they seem to be.