'American Beauty', directed by Sam Mendes, is simply a study of a dysfunctional American Family which reveals the nature of modern suburbia with wit, precision, and invention. Allan Balls script continually explores ideas about what constitutes ordinariness in our lives and what 'beauty' truly is, and why people who have everything, live 'lives of desperation'. Far more importantly, though, is what the film has to say about the American Dream - or rather the American Nightmare.

American modern society (not too different from New Zealand's own society), is constructed around the notion that happiness is found through material success: a lucrative job, a nice house in a quiet neighbourhood, fancy cars etc. 'American Beauty' doesn't expose this lie - it shows how hideous this lie could be. Screenwriter Alan Ball, says " On of the movies themes is how we have preconceived notions of things, but the truth often turns out to be something we never even considered - where you find beauty might be in the place you least expect it."

Kevin Spacey (Lester) and Annette Benning (Carolyn) play a couple

Lester, is a typical suburban husband whose life seems to have slipped into a rut. He tells us, 'In less than a year I'll be dead. Of course, I don't know that yet. In a way, I'm dead already.'' He says his life holds no joy - masturbating in the shower is the highlight of his day! "Both my wife and daughter think I'm a gigantic loser,'' Lester reveals, ''Never have I felt so sedated''.

Mum and Dad, however, aren't the only ones becoming unraveled. Jane, disgusted and alienated by her parents, finds solace in the unnerving calm of her new next door neighbour, Ricky (Wes Bentley). She is bitter about certain aspects of her life and disappointed by her parents, but she has qualities that slowly emerge that make her special and unique. Ricky has a fetish for video taping just about anything he can, and a seductive insight into what's real in the world, despite the beatings from his self-loathing, Marine Corps father (Chris Cooper). Ricky shows Jane that it is okay to be herself and be happy with who she is.

'American Beauty' forces society to confront the reality of our own life. It comments on the issue that society today is too materialistic, and we tend to leave behind the real necessities of life - love, honesty and happiness. Success and Happiness are two feature

Some common words found in the essay are:
Peter Gallagher, Birch Lester, Success Happiness, Benning Carolyn, Nightmare American, Meanwhile Carolyn, Wes Bentley, Ricky Jane, Allan Balls, Mum Dad, 'american beauty', modern society, image success, real estate, sam mendes, film american, alan ball,
Approximate Word count = 861
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)