American Beauty (look closer)

I've always told people that I have 4 favorite movies: Good Will Hunting, The Shawshank Redemption, The Departed and The Town. I have different reasons for each one, and every time I watch them my choices are confirmed even more. But there is one movie that I usually forget to mention, but is honestly one of the best movies I've ever seen for so many reasons. It contains my favorite movie line of all time and some of my favorite cinematic scenes. So, let's talk about 1999's best picture winner.... American Beauty.

1999: American Beauty

Beat Out: The Cider House Rules, The Green Mile, The Insider and The Sixth Sense

Well-known quotes: "This will be the high point of my day; it's all down hill from here" "I don't think there's anything worse than being ordinary" "Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can't take it, and my heart is just gonna cave in"

When trying to describe this movie and what it's about I usually use the word "profound." That's the only word I can think of that encompasses the movie's strangeness as well as its powerful message. The movie's tagline: "look closer" really explains what the movie is trying to get out. Look closer at your life and the world around you, that's what its basically asking of its audience.

It tells the story of Lester Burnhman (played by Kevin Spacey) and his strange and unique "mid life crisis." He leads a seemingly normal life with his wife, Carolyn (played by Annette Bening) who cares way too much about appearances and his frustrated angry daughter, Jane (played by Thora Birch).

But eventually he gets sick of it all, and starts reevaluating the important things in his life. He quites his job, realizing it never really made him happy, and starts working at the fast food joint he worked at as a teenager. Kevin Spacey is perfect as the sarcastic beaten down husband, who gets a burst of new energy. He deservedly won the Oscar for best lead actor for his performance.

 

His family is less than thrilled with his "transformation" especially Carolyn, whose own inner struggles lead her into an affair. She is unable to detatch herself from the materialistic things in her life, that add onto a picture perfect image she is so desperate to have. 

"This isn't life, it's just stuff. And it's become more important to you than living. Well honey, that's just nuts," Lester says to her. 

Meanwhile Jane and the boy next door, Ricky (played by Wes Bentley who recently starred in the Hunger Games) start a relationship. Ricky is strange, as he always is video tapping Jane and her family through his window. Ricky's introverted nature and strange philosophies may seem extreme to the viewers, but his character plays an important role in the movie's message. He serves as a sort of salvation for Jane, teaching her to see things in a different way. The thing I love about Ricky is that he does this in a non cliche and corny way. He makes you want to listen. He contributes to the film's most well-known scene...the plastic bag scene. 

 

I know that many people who see this movie might not get the message it's trying to convey...and I mean that's understandable. It presents it in a strange way, making the viewer work hard to understand. But I like that. I think if the message was really straight forward or overt, it would just be corny and feel forced. 

I love this movie a lot because of the way it's written. The screenplay is absolutely fabulous here, written by Alan Ball (the creator of True Blood!) He won the Oscar for best original screenplay.The words are so profound, yet relatable, I envy the fact that he was able to come up with such strong messages. That's another thing I love. There are so many strong important messages you could get out of this movie. You don't have to find the whole movie profound, but I guarantee something said will impact your life in some way. 

For me, the message came with my favorite movie quote ever. When Lester is narrating he says, "It's a great thing when you realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself. Makes you wonder what else you can do that you've forgotten about."

And with that, I'll let you all get your own message from this awesome movie. If nothing else, I'm sure the ending scene will make you reflect on the important things in your life.