Look Closer | American Beauty
When Sam Mendes showed his script for American Beauty to the execs at Dreamworks, Steven Spielberg told him to ‘not change a single thing.’
Mendes’ directorial film debut is a true masterpiece of cinema and when he upon completion showed the finished product to Mr Spielberg he said ‘You’ve made a classic movie.’
Sam Mendes is very much an actors director and I find his process and his direction to be the reason that American Beauty is so successful.
He called for a 2 week rehearsal period which I find crucial and personally don’t like working any other way. Unfortunately it is a rarity that productions can afford to allow such a time. During these two weeks the cast became comfortable with each other and create their dynamics, as did the production crew and during this time American Beauty began to take its form.
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The strongest quality of American Beauty is undoubtedly the characters. The film takes shape and builds around these personalities, they’re weird and wonderful and are shown in all their embarrassingly honest glory. Many of the films themes come from the difficulties the characters are facing.
Loneliness, materialism, identity, appearance, freedom, love.
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The casting of this movie is exquisite, every actor encompasses the role and gives an honest performance. Kevin Spacey in the lead role is electric. This film is a film about Lester Burnham’s rebellion and Spacey doesn’t miss a single beat in bringing him to life. During Lester’s rapid change of lifestyle he enters this Lolita like relationship with his daughters friend, Angela; bravely played by Mena Suvari. But this is not a film about Lester’s perversion or temptation (as I know some people assume before viewing.) He is a tender character and American Beauty is about his yearning for respect and beauty, about reclaiming his youth and living for himself. His freedom. (Not condoning his behaviour or attraction for a minor.)
The surrounding cast is just as stunning as Spacey. I say surrounding and not supporting because I feel like their stories are just as important as Lesters. His wife Carolyn is heartbreakingly played by the extraordinary Annette Bening who was acknowledged by the academy with a nomination for best actress. In many ways she is the antithesis to Lester, she is the villain to our hero, she is cold and unfaithful. But Carolyn is just as frustrated as Lester is, and if the film were flipped and told from her perspective I’m quite certain she would be our hero and clueless, irresponsible Lester would be the villain.
Chris Cooper plays the real villain, ‘Colonel Frank Fitts of the US Marine Core.’ His warped views, fragile masculinity, self hate and repression build and climax at the crux of the film. His scenes are at times hard to watch and I’m sure every audience member can relate to his character in some way, we all know someone like this, which makes all the scenes that bit more distressing. His wife Barbara (the wonderful Allison Janney) although not seen as frequently only adds to the heartbreaking family dynamic.
Thora Birch and Wes Bentley are underrated in their roles as the tragic teen couple who just don’t seem to fit in with their peers and their family. It is easy to look at these characters from a cynical point of view but I believe they are very relatable to a lot of the audience.
I couldn’t write this post without of course mentioning probably the most memorable scene in the film which comes from young Bentley.
~ Sometime’s there’s so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can’t take it ~
It is so delicately performed and paired with Thomas Newman’s score it stands out as a breathtaking scene. Newman’s score in other parts of the film is rather contemporary and seems unusual for what is at times such a gentle film but it works perfectly and is another stand out feature.
Particularly in this scene.
American Beauty is in my eyes a perfect piece of cinema, it is funny, relatable, volatile, controversial and tremendously human.
I’ll leave you with my favourite scene of the film and the recommendation to go and watch this film (or re watch) over and over again.
