this movie hit me pretty hard and ive had quite the enjoyable time these past 30 minutes trying to figure out exactly why
im not a dad, im not locked in a nuclear family, i dont live in the burbs or work a job i hate or feel regularly bored in any way. so whyd this hit? and why am i thinking of everything everywhere all at once (EEAAO as
@lukemcmack would say)??
there’s 2 ideas being explored here — the fear of monotony, and then monotony itself. the kids fear monotony and the adults have it, which i would think is a pretty apt description of reality. surprisingly, i think this core idea has aged VERY well — in our age of influencer overload i think this fear of monotony is far more prevalent in youth today than in 1999 — with unprecedented knowledge on how to live a storyworthy life at our fingertips, how could we possibly fail to deliver? falling into a rut… wouldn’t that just be dreadful??
american beauty paints this monotony so well into the lives of multiple characters that by the 30th minute you the viewer are also begging to be freed from the box youve been painted into. when lester finally starts going off script it’s a joyous experience — you genuinely relate. it’s hilarious to watch, but it’s also very evident that this experience has deeper meaning
then of course american beauty ties it all up with the same banger conclusion as EEAAO: there is infinite depth to explore in every day of our lives. there is beauty everywhere, if you believe it exists and are curious enough to look for it.
“when i choose to look on the bright side of things, i’m not being naive — it is strategic and necessary” — wesley wang (EEAAOO, of course)
dont continue reading if havent seen american beauty, minor ending discussion
i think the predatorial nature of the inciting incident is super duper necessary — ultimately lester is attracted to the carefree / off-rails nature of childhood itself, not the person at all. this is made evidently clear by the ending — he immediately loses interest when he learns her take-what-you-want attitude is just masking insecurities, it’s not the real thing.
lesson: knowing what you want is hot, kids are not. too bad kev didnt get the memo irl. but damn hes an incredible, actor geez louise
also WOW insane they wrote a guy whos obsessed with filming his life so he doesnt forget all of the beautiful moments in it, what an incredibly contemporary character for over 25 years ago!!
4
