"American Beauty" and Narrative Form

Paper Summary:

This paper explores the ways that character and narrative interact to create meaning in the movie "American Beauty" .

From the Paper:

"The proclamation of imminent death - "In less than a year, I will be dead" - in the opening narration establishes a curious and unconventional equilibrium. It is from the main character Lester's point of view that the audience is introduced to his wife Carolyn and daughter Jane, who both, according to Lester, hate him. Carolyn is first seen in "gardening clogs" with matching pruning sheers, cutting roses. This picture of domestic happiness is starkly contrasted by Lester's acid remarks about his wife ("She wasn't always like this"). His daughter Jane is first shown in her room, at her computer, closed off from the activities of her parents. This disjointed family system is the equilibrium that the film begins with, and is acknowledged by Lester as having been so for several years. Being off-balanced at the outset, the establishment of disequilibrium as the narrative progresses introduces a further familial dysfunction as the family structure begins to dissolve, further."

More papers on "American Beauty" and Narrative Form:

• Film Review # 138977 : "American Beauty' and Marriage"
• Comparison Essay # 103093 : "American Beauty" and "The Crucible"
• Film Review # 56494 : "American Beauty" and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs"

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