American Beauty (1999)
“American Beauty”, directed by Sam Mendes, tells us the story of Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), a middle-aged man who fears getting old, loses faith in true love, and is not respected by those who know him better. Lester is despised by his teenage daughter, ignored by his wife, and not satisfied with his work. “Somehow, I’m already dead,” Lester mentions. At the same time, he tells us that the best part of his day is when he masturbates in the shower in the mornings, and from there, everything goes in a tailspin. This movie is the story of his rebellion.
We meet his wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening), the perfect stereotype of a woman who feigns a happiness and high self-esteem non-existent, she does everything possible to fit into the wealthy society, however, never suceeds. We also meet Lester’s daughter Jane (Thora Birch), a rebellious and maladjusted adolescent, whose biggest desire is to stay as far away from her parents as possible
“Both my wife and my daughter believe I am a failure,” Lester complains in an off-voice narration. The coexistence between the three allows us to have a glimpse at how damaged their family relationships are, and we laugh when witnessing their conversations, but behind that laughter there is a feeling of emotional discomfort.
Everything changes for Lester the night he is dragged by his wife to see his daughter act as a cheerleader at school. Once there, he meets a girl named Angela (Mena Suvari), companion and friend of his daughter. Lester develops a lustful obsession for her, falls in love in a certain way. His life now has regained meaning: trying to conquer Angela will be the force that drives him to re-build his life in all aspects. Only he won’t get there, since a deeply saddening tragedy awaits in the end.
‘American Beauty’ is a brilliant fusion of comedy and tragedy, with a great soundtrack and powerful messages about life and the struggle to find happiness. An extraordinary film about different characters and their concerns, played by outstanding actors- without a doubt a film that cannot be missed.
by Octavio Carbajal González