... While Janie is dancing at the big basketball game Lester’s eyes wonder of his daughter Janie to a girl by the name of Angela Lester than starts to fantasizing about the girl after the game Lester and his wife meet their daughter and Lester than finds out that the girl he was fantasizing over is Janie’s best friend
Alan Balls screenplay for AMERICAN-BEAUTY won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay of 1999, and the film won Best Picture. ... American-Beauty brought in 130 million dollars domestically, making it the 13th highest-grossing film of its year. ... American-Beauty. ... Even the dialogue in American-Beauty will be glossed over. ...
PREMISE/CONCEPT in American-Beauty
"The individual members of a dysfunctional, joyless family struggle to find happiness and to connect with others. ... American-Beauty. ... They have been fooled into thinking that the American Dream involves materialism and status, and that these things will provide joy. ...
ORCHESTRATION OF CHARACTERS in American-Beauty
In a well-orchestrated cast, there is a blend of similarities and opposites, as well as a few traits that are merely different -- individually distinctive. ... And while the Burnham family, and his own parents, are wallowing in misery, Ricky has been able to find moments of bliss, and to see beauty in things that others would see as merely mundane or even ugly. ...
In American-Beauty some may feel that some of the characters dont sufficiently seem like flesh-and-blood people -- that to too large a degree, they are walking symbols and archetypes, more than they are manifestations of real people. ... In terms of a structural analysis of American-Beauty the quality of the characterization is somewhat incidental. ... American-Beauty.
UNITY OF OPPOSITES in American-Beauty
What unites these characters, despite their differences and conflicts? ... And she is gladdened that he likes her so much, and sees the beauty within her. ...
FORESHADOWING & PLANTING in American-Beauty. ... Shes impressed by him, and pleased he likes her so much, and sees her as physically beautiful, as well as appreciating her inner beauty. ... In the course of the movie, its to impress others with her beauty and to hide the fact shes still a virgin while "impressing" them with her worldly ways and desirability. ... American Beauty is, in some respects, far richer thematically than most Hollywood films. ...
So American Beauty has much more on its mind (so to speak) than do most mainstream films. ...
THEME #1 in American-Beauty
Certainly one theme is of the superficiality of American society -- how it is overly concerned with appearances, not substance. ...
THEME #2 in American-Beauty
Related to this is the theme of the superficiality and destructiveness of our pursuit and idolization of materialism. ... In fact, its an extraordinarily common theme, and has been since the 1950s in American literature, theater, and cinema. ...
Its this same obsessive pursuit of the Almighty Dollar, status, superficial beauty (such as a four-thousand dollar sofa), the latest gadgets, conveniences, luxuries, and "new, cool, in" fashions and objects, that leads people to neglect their mental health and their relationships with others. ...
THEME #3 in American-Beauty
Another reason they are miserable is that most of the characters are not truthful. ...
THEME #4 in American-Beauty
Yet another theme -- and possibly meant as the primary one -- is about how second chances are possible . ...
The two articulated themes are: There is much beauty in the world, so much that it can be difficult to bear. ...
Lets examine the "there is so much beauty in the world" theme first. ...
While there is a relationship to the "There is much beauty in the world, even where others would only see something mundane, distasteful, or ugly" with the "We Are Superficial Because We Are Fooled by Appearances" theme, the second theme is well illustrated by the events and the characterizations. Is the "beauty" theme? ... Not much beauty there. ... He doesnt mean physically, since he realizes beauty is indeed, skin deep and superficial. ... So the statement that there is so much beauty in the world may or may not be true, but it simply hasnt been illustrated or depicted in this film. Weve seen pockets or oases of beauty, but thats all. ... and take the time to notice the moments of beauty around us. ... But it is not a true structural throughline theme, nor is the theme about the abundance of beauty in the world. ... Weve seen flashes of beauty, latent beauty. But that beauty has been engulfed by ugliness and misery. ...
So while American-Beauty is rich with ideas, some of them are (to some) overly familiar. ... No one argues that while there is much beauty in the world, if you look for it, theres much more ugliness, cruelty, and misery. ...
So lets examine these commonly seen Major Plot Events, Story Milestones, or Turning Points which are found in many movies, to see which, if any, are present in American Beauty.
BACKSTORY in American-Beauty
Key Backstory Event(s): American-Beauty
Does Backstory influence the present, and the actions of these characters? ...
We dont know exactly when or why things started to go wrong -- buying into the wrong American Dream, we assume. ...
There is also some backstory in American-Beauty-- more specific this time -- with Ricky. ...
EXPOSITION & SETUP in American-Beauty
All of the exposition is handled in an interesting way -- mainly via Voice Over narration by Lester, complementing, illustrating, commenting on, or contrasting with the images and events that we witness. ...
Usually, the majority of the setup in American-Beautyoccurs in the first 15-20 minutes, with some additional setup after that until roughly the one-quarter point. ...
OPENING IMAGE/EVENT - American-Beauty
The opening image is of Jane on videotape, discussing how her father is a lame-o and disgusting, and how he should be killed. ...
INITIAL DESIRE, DREAM, GOAL, AND/OR PROBLEM - American-Beauty
To give focus, energy, and direction to the first minutes of a film -- prior to the end of the first act, or the full launching of the story -- one or more of the principal characters usually has an Initial Goal and/or Problem. ...
HOOK in American-Beauty
There are really three hooks, in quick succession. ...
CLARIFYING EVENT in American-Beauty
This is something that, when used, usually occurs around 14-20 minutes into the story. ...
END OF ACT 1 - American-Beauty
This just-discussed event -- Lester starts to work out (pumping weights) in his garage -- might seem, on the first viewing of the film (or reading of the screenplay) to be the End of Act 1. ...
The fact that American Beauty deviated from this and was still lauded and successful shows how flexible these guidelines and principles are. ...
LIFE-CHANGING EVENT in American-Beauty
Seeing Angela and becoming enraptured by her turns out to have been a Life-Changing Event. ...
MIDPOINT in American-Beauty
As is sometimes the case, in this film there isnt any one Midpoint event, but rather several events forming a Midpoint Section. ...
END OF MIDDLE ACT(S) -- CRISIS & TURNAROUND in American-Beauty
Whether or not this is viewed as having three or more acts, clearly the last act begins when Lester is once again jogging -- doing much better at it this time -- and he announces, in narration, "Remember that poster that said, Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life? ...
FINAL CONFRONTATION OR ORDEAL in American-Beauty
The cross-cutting between Lester with Angela, and Carolyn with the gun while driving home and babbling about not being a victim anymore pretty much acts as a final confrontation. ...
DENOUEMENT in American-Beauty
In the denouement, we learn who did it. ... He espouses some thoughts (much beauty in the world, we should be grateful for each moment of our lives) that may or may not be borne out by the majority of events and feelings in the film up until this point.
CHARACTER ARC in American-Beauty
Several characters achieve some growth. ...
BEFORE & AFTER in American-Beauty
Before: a lonely family filled with hostility, loneliness, spiritual emptiness, falsity, and superficiality. ...
Im speaking here of the ending as in the movie, not in the shooting script screenplay, where Jane and Ricky are charged and found guilty of Lesters death (which would have further subverted the articulated themes of beauty and being grateful). ...
SUMMARY
American Beauty contains strong Throughline Structure: a distinct and ongoing Key Concept (i. ...
There are several Turning Points in American-Beauty -- becoming smitten with Angela and thus emerging from his "coma," standing up to Carolyn, quitting his job . ...
My own view: I found American-Beauty to be an interesting, often fascinating film.
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