He's not kidding. Lester shares that he will be dead in one year but, really, he's already been dead for a better part of his life. Not that Angela's innocent herself. Lester may fantasize about seeing her naked in a field of rose petals on his ceiling, but Angela knows she's got the power to turn him inside out and isn't afraid to use it. However, not even Ricky can prevent the tragedy that will envelop his family, Jane's family and Angela, the American Beauty who starts it all.
Mistaken identities abound, sexual and otherwise.
The title itself could cover both Angela and Jane, two versions of American beauty, and certainly the constant appearance of red roses, which are both a symbol of beauty and a harbinger of death. The Burnham's house may be filled with pictures of the perfect family but dysfunction seethes underneath. Neither the eye nor the videotape can be trusted. Ricky's videos, black and white be they may, are quite subject to misinterpretation as his father ultimately and fatally proves. Ricky may be the closest to objectivity but even he is working with a third eye.