American Beauty

[Sunstone]

I saw it last night for the first time. As a first impression, I thought it was a very interesting take on authenticity and reclaiming your life. What did you make of it?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

It's been awhile since I've seen this film, but, if I recall correctly, what struck me most about the movie, was the size of Thora Birch's cans.

 

[Caladan]

Ooh.. saw it a long time ago.. when it was playing in the cinemas.
I cant relate to the 'plot' as much as I can for the main things I remember from American beauty.. which are specific scenes, such as taping the flying bag and talking about these certain moments of beauty in life, the scene of the neighbor coming on to Spacey, and of course Mena Suveri coming on to Spacey and at the end his refusal in light of recognition of what he's doing.
I like the idea in the movie that nothing is sacred, and ideals which are rooted in the wrong reasons, like in the case of their neighbor go out the window when stronger physical passions are at the end of the day what drives us.

 

[Magic Man]

Ooh.. saw it a long time ago.. when it was playing in the cinemas.
I cant relate to the 'plot' as much as I can for the main things I remember from American beauty.. which are specific scenes, such as taping the flying bag and talking about these certain moments of beauty in life, the scene of the neighbor coming on to Spacey, and of course Mena Suveri coming on to Spacey and at the end his refusal in light of recognition of what he's doing.
I like the idea in the movie that nothing is sacred, and ideals which are rooted in the wrong reasons, like in the case of their neighbor go out the window when stronger physical passions are at the end of the day what drives us.

Yeah, I was struck by the size of Thora Birch's cans, too.

 

[Sunstone]

It seems to me Spacey ended his life well -- on a positive note.

 

[Storm]

I always forget he's going to die, I get so engrossed in the story.

 

[Sunstone]

I thought the movie could have done a little bit better job of telling us what authenticity was in Spacey's case. It tells us a lot about what he's reacting against -- a lot about his inauthenticity -- but not as much about what he's becoming.

 

[waacman]

I really like the artistry of the movie, and the soundtrack. Its a nice little film about authenticity alright, SPOILER ALERT: but the ending gets a little muddled for me when he finally gets his chance to fulfill his fantasy and instead acts like a father figure to Angela? because she's never "done it" before. That part I do not understand. Is he lapsing back into his inauthenticity instead of going forward with what would seem to be an authentic desire?

 

[Watchmen]

His fantasy is that she's a little minx, ready to jump his bones. He gets jerked back to reality when he realizes his experience with her would not fulfill that fantasy as she was actually a virgin. Better to continue the fantasy in his dreams that fulfill a false-fantasy and have to deal with the consequences. I think that it shows that even when going for authenticity, there are still some recognizable limits.

Another example, the neighbor's authenticity is that he is really a homosexual. The inauthenticity is that he hides it and acts as a gay-hater. However, he finally thinks he has his chance to come out, but when he goes for it, it turns out he was wrong. It was a false-fantasy. Going through with the false-fantasy is damaging.

 

[Sunstone]

I think that it shows that even when going for authenticity, there are still some recognizable limits.

I think so. He certainly does not compromise his quest for authenticity by refusing to take advantage of the girl.

 

[monta]

The main character confronts the carefully constructed facade of his life and tears it down, at first his actions seem immoral , destructive, selfish and hurtful to all around him, then we see that by facing down his ideas of acceptable behaviour and the corrupt societies ideas of morality and as Watchmen said start behaving in an atuthentic way, instead of being an ammoral headonist he is at core a morally grounded person at odds with the hypocrisy arround him, instead of hurting those around him he has the potential to help them.The message is a good one the film itself is pretty but, meh.

 

[Sunstone]

...but the ending gets a little muddled for me when he finally gets his chance to fulfill his fantasy and instead acts like a father figure to Angela? because she's never "done it" before. That part I do not understand. Is he lapsing back into his inauthenticity instead of going forward with what would seem to be an authentic desire?

Authenticity is not so much about acting according to our desires as it is about acting according to our fundamental natures. To be authentic is to be true to oneself -- which can sometimes be, but is not necessarily, the same thing as being true to one's desires.

 

[sammypoorna]

a perfect husband and wife, in a perfect house, in a perfect neighborhood. But inside, Lester is slipping deeper and deeper into a hopeless depression. He finally snaps when he becomes infatuated with one of his daughter's friends. and, his daughter Jane is developing a happy friendship with a shy boy-next-door named Ricky, who lives with a homophobic father.

The movie is about enjoying rekindling spark in life.