"I had always heard your entire life flashes in front of your eyes the second before you die. First of all, that one second isn't a second at all, it stretches on forever, like an ocean of time... "
Lester Burnham
American Beauty
1999
Infatuation, lust, desire, homophobia, obsession and depression are all underlining themes in this film. American values are cultures and implicate an understanding the core of ones honor, mentality, goals, value and will power with regards to understanding why people do what they do.
If one is to choice infatuation over explanation, has one gone beyond what is required of them as an individual?
American Beauty surfaced a lot of controversial and intricate topics that left audiences a bit taken aback on what was is is acceptable form of communicating this story. Mid-life crisis, infatuation, obsession and bias were minimal compared to the greater picture of this film and it's message.
Sometimes we look at life, our lives and think... "why is this happening to me?" Sometimes we look at our situations and think we can easily fix them and find some form of comfort in knowing that the situation ends up working itself out when one allows it to run its course.
Often at times we want to fix problems, we want to find reasoning to the problems we've created for ourselves, yet, we don't necessarily know why we have these problems surrounding us in the first place. Blame is the easiest form of anger and guilt. Anger is the greatest interpretation of fear. When one fears the unknown, we fear the result. When one is angry, we fear the relationship shift or change.
Can self gratification play an important role in who we are as human beings?
If one is to take a step back and decide whether or not to take on chance with experience and experience chance with no fear, are we living the ultimate dream? Or have we become trapped in our own sub-culture called suburbia?
I used to imagine life as an adult. I used to image choices as a teen as a path towards the road I like to pave called success. When people regret choices it is only because those choices made us weak when we were only regretting the relationships we've destroyed along the way.
"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." - Lester
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bobbot
Alpha Whiskey
Gary Gladstone
fingerlakeswanderer
Dennis Knight
Gabby Fox
Salon.com
Comments
Not sure I agree. I think it's more opportunities lost (which could be relationships, of course) rather than anything destroyed. And as often as not, it's the illusion that the grass of those opportunities would have been greener.
Reading this review reminds me of when it came out. Our oldest boy was a teen then and he flatly declared that he had no interest in seeing the movie with his parents. He'd just feel creepy, he said. After seeing it, we understood.
Dr. Spudman 44.. yep, a good one, but, a little dark and deceptive too. But, see it once.
AtHomePilgrim... yes, I see your point. I like it. I really like your insight. See, I learn from others, and you showed me a great lesson. Thank you. I do remember the uneasiness from people's response from this film, but still, people have always said they loved it. I actually found it disturbing.
I see you like About a Boy. Another killer.