American Beauty - Themes and Analisis

During the latter stages of the film, Lester finally discovers what the true meaning of American Beauty entails. What he learns is both a profound realization and a moment of ultimate truth. However, this newfound knowledge was not a sudden discovery nor was it taught to him. It is the result of his journey; a journey that is intertwined and influenced by the relationships he has with the characters and the world that surrounds him.

The brown leaves of the elm trees that line the street, the pristine white picket fence, the immaculate splendor of the flawless roses in the garden and the resilient hardwood of the red front door. Together, they paint the perfect picture and the ideal life for many Americans to yearn for. The perception is that the Burnham family has everything anyone would want; success, money, status and with this comes the thought of happiness. The reality is a stark contrast however, and beneath this fade the truth paints a darker and more sinister picture.

Nearly every character, (apart from Lester in the final moments of his life) is unable to comprehend the astounding beauty of life that surrounds them. The reason for this is largely due to the way each of them has their own flaws and hang-ups that blinds them from seeing the truth. It is what Lester sees and learns in each of these characters that helps him see clearly the truth in the world and be who he wants to be. This is because eventually Lester realizes he can do all this because, I'm just an ordinary guy with nothing to lose.

Caroline is LesterТs wife. Her pruning shears matches her gardening clogs, she drives a Mercedes, manages her own real estate company and tries in vain to keep the family together. CarolineТs flaws are probably the most self destructive of all the characters in American Beauty. Her continuing desire to be successful and triumphant in every aspect of life only results in the opposite; a destined failure in life. She often sets herself unachievable goals and consequently is angry and damaging to herself when she fails to reach them. Even after the sex with Buddy, the intoxicating and rejuvenating effect it has on her is only a drug educed high. So when she finally has to fall down to earth, the pain is almost too much for her to bear. Although she is superficial in almost everyway she has some worthy points, with the strongest being her desire to create a stable family. But her unorthodox way of doing this, for example her message of encouragement to Jane’s cheerleading dance, honey, I watched you the whole time, and you didn't screw up once! Often fail to hit the mark. At the very least all this desire success and stability gives the family some moral strength on which to lean on. It is because of all the superficiality, the lust for success, prestige and martial possessions that Caroline is too blind to see the true beauty of life. Lester describes the family sofa as just a couch but Caroline replies by saying, this is a four thousand dollar sofa, upholstered in Italian silk, this is not just a couch. Lester sees all the consumerism and materialism and is frustrated by it saying to her, this is just stuff, and it’s more important to you than living well honey that’s just nuts! Lester realizes that material possessions will not gain him freedom and happiness, while Caroline after growing up in a duplex finds solace from the world in her possessions.

Jane is the teenager; depressed, angry and constantly in angst at the world. The lack of confidence in herself, and the fact that she is very self-conscious also affects her ability to see the world clearly. She is also deeply upset inside over the fact that her father shows more interest in Angela and others, rather than her own daughter. So, when someone takes a genuine interest in her for who she is she instantly is drawn to him or her. Her home life and her self-consciousness prevent her from seeing the beauty that surrounds her, even though she often is able see life for what it is. She sees Lester as depressing, pathetic and neglectful towards her. It is not until the end, that Lester realizes how much he has missed out on the relationship with Jane.

Angela represents the total desire and lust for Lester. Her name is a play on words, telling us that Lester sees her as an Angel. After seeing her for the fist time in his life, he is completely intoxicated by her even to the point of (rather pathetically) offering his grown up services to her, do you need and ride, I have a car, I can give you a ride. He wants nothing else but to have this beauty for himself, and goes to much trouble to get it; even pumping weights in the nude. It is not so much what Lester learns from Angela, but more what effect she has on his outlook on life that eventually helps him see this American Beauty.

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