AMERICAN BEAUTY

1
AMERICAN BEAUTY

• Presented byAngus, David H., David K.,
• Denis, Didier, Ginger, Yvette.

2
Nucleus Family and Suburban Life in America

• Suburbia in the United States
• The Ideal Image of A Home At the very beginning,
  also in the end of the film, we can see the
  neatly lined up houses. A perfect neighborhood,
  tranquil and peaceful ambience.
• Normality On the surface every house is
  identical, the shape, the silhouette, the colour
  of the houses, the size of the gardensetc.
  However, the interior varies so are the different
  families. They encounter different obstacles and
  share different values.

3
Family Tree The Burnham Family

• Lester Burnham ---- Carolyn Burnham
• Jane Burnham

4
Character Lester Burnham

• Lester Burnham is in a mid-life crisis, caused by
  his stressed wife Carolyn and rebelling teenage
  daughter Jane. He became obsessed with his
  daughters best friend Angela, and decided to
  change his life.
• He is looked down upon by both his wife and
  daughter, and he admitted that he himself is a
  gigantic loser. He also thinks to alter the fact
  that he Is a loser is futile. (Before meeting
  Angela)

5
For instance

• Lester and Carolyn are driving to the basketball
  game to watch Jane's dance team gig Lester
  Burnham Well what makes you so sure she wants us
  to be there? Did she ask us to come? Carolyn
  Burnham Of course not. She doesn't want us to
  know how important this is to her. But she's been
  practicing her steps for weeks. Lester Burnham
  Well, I'll bet money she's going to resent it,
  and I'm missing the James Bond marathon on TNT.
  Carolyn Burnham Lester, this is important. I'm
  sensing a real distance growing between you and
  Jane. Lester Burnham "Growing?" She hates me.
  Carolyn Burnham She's just willful. Lester
  Burnham She hates you too. (Clip)

6
Sexually Frustrated by His Wife

• Carolyn Burnham Don't you mess with me, mister,
  or I'll divorce you so fast it'll make your head
  spin! Lester Burnham On what grounds? I'm not a
  drunk, I don't fuck other women, I've never hit
  you, I don't mistreat you... I don't even try to
  touch you since you've made it so abundantly
  clear how unnecessary you consider me to be! But
  I did support you when you got your license, and
  some people might think that entitles me to half
  of what's yours. So, turn off the light when you
  come to bed! (CLIP)
• Lester is inferior to his wife in many aspects.
  So in their relationship Lester does not
  represent the phallus. Hes physical needs and
  desire are not taken care of by the other half.
  He does not share intimacy with his wife, instead
  he masturbates himself.
• Lester Burnham Look at me, jerking off in the
  shower... This will be the high point of my day
  it's all downhill from here.

7
Nostalgic

• (clip)
• Lester Burnham When I was your age, I flipped
  burgers all summer just to be able to buy an
  eight-track. Ricky Fitts That sucks. Lester
  Burnham No, actually it was great. All I did was
  party and get laid. I had my whole life ahead of
  me.
• Lester goes on a few nostalgia trips during the
  film. It shows that he precious the old good
  times he shared with his family. The last flash
  back is the most pronounced, vivid evidence. The
  images of Jane and Carolyn (back then) are what
  he cherished the most.

8
Lester Burnham is also

• .Considerate
• Before He cares very much about Jane, more than
  he shows. He tries to talk to her a few times but
  was turned down by her. Later on he stopped being
  so nice to her out of frustration.
• After Lester Burnham You better watch yourself,
  Jane, or you're going to turn into a real BITCH,
  just like your MOTHER!
• . Easy-going
• He is humorous and easy-going. We can tell from
  his interaction with Ricky Fitts and his
  neighbours (the homosexual couple.) Also, from
  his conversation with Ricky, he used to get laid
  and all thatShows there it is possible that
  Lester used to be quite popular.

9
Lester Burnhams Relationships With Others

• Lester Burnham ?? Carolyn Burnham
• Carolyn Burnham This is a 4,000 sofa,
  upholstered in Italian silk. It is not just a
  couch.
• Lester Burnham shouts It's just a couch!
• Lester and Carolyn are on different levels of
  values. Lester tries to convince his wife (above)
  but in vain. He then becomes numb to her
  complains and ignores her demands. He also starts
  exercising his individual freedom, which may
  challenge Carolyns convention.

10
Such as

• Working out, playing music out loud in the
  garage.
• Buying the car he always dreamed of
• Carolyn Burnham Uh, whose car is that out front?
  
• Lester Burnham Mine. 1970 Pontiac Firebird. The
  car I've always wanted and now I have it. I rule!
  (Clip?)

11
Lester Burnham ?? Buddy Kane

• Carolyn is introducing Lester to the Real Estate
  King Carolyn Burnham My husband, Lester.
  Buddy Kane It's a pleasure. Lester Burnham
  Oh, we've met before, actually. This thing last
  year, Christmas at the Sheraton... Buddy Kane
  pretends to remember Oh yeah, yes... Lester
  Burnham It's OK, I wouldn't remember me either.
  Carolyn Burnham laughs nervously Honey, don't
  be weird. Lester Burnham OK honey, I won't be
  weird. I'll be whatever what you want me to be.
  Lester kisses Carolyn wildly, then looks at the
  Real Estate King Lester Burnham We have a very
  healthy relationship. (clip1, 2- At the
  Smileys)
• Lester does not think Buddy Kane is
  intimidating as his wife does. He presents a
  rather sarcastic way of self introduction and
  does not really care about the outcome. The kiss
  is intended to clarify that Carolyn is His Wife,
  and make sure that Kane draws a clear line
  between them. However, when Carolyn and Kanes
  affair was busted, he hides his emotions makes
  himself sound calm.

12
Lester Burnham ?? Brad Dupree and Smiley Manager

• Lester is intelligent and eloquent. He does not
  pursue a material life, his values toward
  materials effects his career life and attitude.
  He is not fussy about jobs, as long as he gets
  paid. From his previous working experience we can
  tell that he does not want to lie to people (what
  he thinks about the advertisement company.)
• Insert 2 clips
• Brad Dupree reading Lester's job description
  "My job consists of basically masking my contempt
  for the assholes in charge, and, at least once a
  day, retiring to the men's room so I can jerk off
  while I fantasize about a life that doesn't so
  closely resemble Hell." Well, you have absolutely
  no interest in saving yourself. Lester Burnham
  Brad, for 14 years I've been a whore for the
  advertising industry. The only way I could save
  myself now is if I start firebombing.

13

• Mr. Smiley's Manager I don't think you'd fit in
  here. Lester Burnham I have fast food
  experience. Mr. Smiley's Manager Yeah, like
  twenty years ago! Lester Burnham Well, I'm sure
  there have been amazing technological advances in
  the industry, but surely you must have some sort
  of training program. It seems unfair to presume I
  won't be able to learn.

14
Lester Burnham ?? Angela

• Lesters relationship with Angela can be
  interpreted differently.
• Lester sees her as his daughters best friend.
  The love that he wants to give to his daughter
  was turned down. So he turned this love for his
  daughter to her best friend, which is the closest
  person to her (from Lesters point of view.)
• Lester sees Angela as a new target of life. An
  alternative to his static live style. A challenge
  and a desire he closely developed in his
  reveries.
• He knows that Angela fancies him to some degree,
  and he thinks if Angela accepts him, Jane will do
  the same.
• Pure sexual desire. Out of fascination and
  helplessness.

15
Lester Burnham (After Meeting Angela)

• Hes attitude towards life changed.
• Before meeting Angela Lester leads a stale life.
  He was on low level of energy. We can compare
  this change to Schopenhauer's thought
• ? The Relationship between Will and Desire.
• ? The desire is a kind of drive, we all run on
  desire fuel so we become fascinated with life and
  purpose. When we have something in mind, and we
  want to go after it, we become more creative and
  productive.
• ? Angela brings a new desire into Lesters life,
  which inspires him to change his way of living.
• Clips For years I was like being in a coma, and
  now I am awake
• (Lying on the bed, with Angela on the ceiling
  covered with roses)

16
Symbols The Roses, Windows and Family Portraits

• Roses The symbol that interweaved the film
• In Lesters imaginary world, Angela is always
  covered with roses. Roses stands for sexual lust
  and is the commonly used to represent beauty.
• Roses come out flying from Angelas breasts.
• Roses dropped from the ceiling where Angela lie
  looking down at him on his bed.
• Angela taking a hot bath filled with roses.
• Lester imagined Angela touching him, and pull out
  a pedal from his own mouth.
• Here the rose pedal is produced by Lester
  himself. Angela provides only her image, however,
  Lester can project the original imagine into his
  own dream world, can her seem more seductive. And
  so hes desired is provoked and can later on, be
  satisfied.

17
There are many scenes that Lester is present
behind the windows. It seems like Lester is
trapped inside the building.- For instance
Through Ricky Fitts camera, we see Lester
working out behind the window. The shadows of the
bars on the windows cast on Lesters body like he
was caged within it.

• Windows

18
Family Portraits

• The photos of Burnham family appears very often
  through out the film.
• The family, as the photo frame that bound the
  three of them together. The smiles in the photos
  shows the time that they used to be happy, and
  enjoy each others company. That is the reason of
  Lesters frequent flash backs. And the solid
  evidence of how much he cherishes his time with
  Carolyn and Jane. The ending part clip

19
Lester Burnham

• Methods of Self-Liberation
• Jerk off in the shower and the mens room
• and, at least once a day, retiring to the men's
  room so I can jerk off while I fantasize about a
  life that doesn't so closely resemble Hell."
• Talk back to his boss and wife
• The only way I could save myself now is if I
  start firebombing.
• Lester throws the asparagus plate at the wall
  Don't interrupt me, honey!
• Oh, yeah, and one more thing, from now on we're
  going to have alternate dinner music because
  frankly - and I don't think I'm alone here I'm
  tired of this Lawrence Welk shit!
• Quit his job
• Singing LOUD in the car
• Get high? Listen to Rock music, Smoke
  weed
• Dreams

• Repression
• Work? Doing stuff he doesnt want to do
  forcedly
• ? Too honest and ordinary to be
  neglected (didnt get promoted to the place he
  deserved)
• "My job consists of basically masking my contempt
  for the assholes in charge,
• for 14 years I've been a whore for the
  advertising industry
• Family? Being looked down by his wife and
  daughter
• I am sick and tired of being treated like I
  don't exist. You two do whatever you want,
  whenever you want to do it, and I don't complain.
  

20
Lester Jane

• They used to be close, but drifted apart
• In the kitchen We used to be pals
• At the dinner table I mean, hello youve barely
  even spoken to me for months
• Family pictures of them displayed everywhere in
  the house
• Concerned a lot about Jane
• Narrating about Jane, trying to know her angry,
  insecure, confused I wish I could tell her
  thats all going to pass, but I dont want to lie
  to her
• On the way to the stadium What make sure she
  wants us to be there? Did she ask us to come?
  Ill bet shes going to resent it
• Asked Angela Hows Jane Is she happy? Is she
  miserable Id really like to know, and shed
  die before shed ever tell me about it
• Look at the photo (Before he died), his
  satisfied peaceful smile
• The flashback of his life at the moment he died,
  he saw Jane a lot of times? Her importance in his
  mind

21
Lester Jane

• Trying hard to make up, but always ended up badly
  
• At the dinner table, asked her how was her
  school? Received coldness( short and heartless
  answer)
• To get her attention by being humorous? What do
  you expect? You cant all the sudden be my best
  friend just because you had a bad day
• In the kitchen (After dinner)? feel sorry about
  the distance, apologized to her? Received
  coldness (Jane walked away)
• In the Kitchen (In the morning) Youd better
  watch out Janie, or youre going turn into a
  real bitch just like your mother

22
Lester Ricky

• Personal Hero
• Quit his job very carelessly and mindlessly
  (Confident)
• Catering Boss I'm not paying you to do...
  whatever it is you're doing out here. Ricky
  Fitts Fine. So don't pay me. Catering Boss
  Excuse me? Ricky Fitts I quit. So you don't
  have to pay me. Now leave me alone. Catering
  Boss ...asshole. Lester Burnham I think you
  just became my personal hero!
• Drug dealing with denial and courage Ricky
  Fitts My dad thinks I pay for all this with
  catering jobs. Never underestimate the power of
  denial
• Purchase drugs from Ricky
• Reminder of his past and youth
• Pink Floyd (While buying drugs from him)
• Lester Burnham When I was your age, I flipped
  burgers all summer just to be able to buy an
  eight-track. Ricky Fitts That sucks. Lester
  Burnham No, actually it was great. All I did was
  party and get laid. I had my whole life ahead of
  me.

23
Lester Frank

• To Lester, Frank is a serious controlling person
• They greeted each other? Frank didnt react much
  
• Buying drugs from Ricky? knew him collecting his
  sons urine
• Shocked to see Franks confession
• Killed by Frank
• Their relationship was dramatic
• normal neighborhood? sudden affectionate
  confession? tragic death end

24
Carolyn Burnham

• A house agent and housewife concurrently
• Outside Apparently elegant, friendly and always
  smily.
• ex Interacted with the gay neighbor.
• Inside predominated, overruled, and punctilious.
• ex - She is the one who
• drives car.
• - Owning the command
• of dinner music.

25
Carolyn cares a lot about appearance

• Quote 1.
• Carolyn Are you trying to look unattractive?
• Jane Yes.
• Carolyn Well, congratulations. You've succeeded
  admirably.
• Quote 2.
• ?After cheerleading?
• Carolyn Honey, I'm so proud of you. I watched
  you very closely, and you didn't screw up once!

26
Sweet home?

• The setting of dinner table is neat and ordered.
• Roses and flowers in bottles everywhere.
• Intimated melody is played every night.
• Family portraits.

27
About Carolyns Job

• To sell the beautiful fantasy and ideal image of
  a HOUSE.
• To fulfill peoples expectation toward a house.
• Quote
• - Carolyn Burnham My company sells an image.
  It's part of my job to live that image.
• - Sale House Woman The ad said this pool
  was lagoon-like. There's nothing lagoon-like
  about it, except for the bugs. There aren't even
  any plants out here! Carolyn Burnham What do
  you call this? Is this not a plant? If you have a
  problem with my plants, I can always call my
  landscape architect! Solved!

28
Carolyns depression from job

• From I will sell this house today, I will sell
  this house today to crackup.
• Slap herself and said shut up, shut up.
• Self- inhibition.
• The blind and the empty room? isolation.

29
Carolyn depression from home

• See her husband as a loser.
• Sexually frustrated from the marriage.
• Mother-daughter relationship is not good, either.
• Quote Carolyn Burnham You ungrateful little
  brat! Just look at everything you have. When I
  was your age, we... lived in a duplex! We didn't
  even have our own house!

30
Her release

• Her success-driven character renders her the most
  hopeless in the film's tone of moral conviction.
• "In order to be successful in life one must
  project the appearance of success" ---Buddy Kane.
• Turned her attitude toward Buddy from hostility
  to identification.

31
Having unfaithfulness with Buddy

• Quote
• - Buddy Kane Do you like getting nailed by
  the King? Carolyn Yes, your majesty! -
  Carolyn That was exactly what I needed. The
  royal treatment, so to speak.

32
Collapsed again after getting caught

• Quote
• Janine Youre so busted.
• Carolyn You know, this really doesnt concern
  you.
• Clip ?12648 to 12930?

33
?I refuse to be a victim?

• Release her pressure by shooting.
• Quote?I love shooting this gun.?
• ?Man on audiotape?
• I refuse to be a victim

34
Whos murderer?

• Carolyns unconsciousness?
• She is not intended want to shoot Lester.
• phallus vs. be phallus
• The gun is for demonstrating her supremacy, but
  not for murdering.
• Her regret and mourning.

35
Isolation of Jane

• Family dinner
• Friends
• Admires Angela
• Meaningless
• Superficial
• Vanity

36
Repression of Jane

• Only child
• Family problem
• Lack of self-confident
• Contradiction
• Love and hate

37
How Jane release

• Took off her cloth
• A beauty and pure heart
• Had a fight with Angela
• Im no more a kid than you are.
• Shes someone you use to feel better about
  yourself. 013755
• Plan to run away with Ricky
• To cast her shell

38
Sense of lack

• Love
• Family
• I need a father whos a role model.
• Friend
• Romantic
• Meaning and beauty of life

39
External or internal

• First meet Ricky in school
• Angela And why he dress like a Bible salesman?
• Jane Hes, like, so confident. 2853
• Filming the dead bird
• Angela I think you forget your medication today,
  mental boy. 5457

40
Jane vs Ricky

• Low self-confident vs high self-confident
• Lover and a tutor
• Jane Its weird watching myself. I dont like
  how I look. Ricky I cant believe you dont
  know how beautiful you are. 011813
• They said eyes are the window of soul

41
Jane vs Angela

• Angela is like a model to Jane.
• Pretty outside
• Ugly inside (liar)
• Vanity Angela
• Reality Jane
• Jane Youll never be a freak cause youre just
  too perfect! 013814

42
Jane vs Lester

• Nearly broken relation
• Lester dont care about her heart
• Jane loves him
• Jane hates him
• Lester Janes a pretty typical teenager angry,
  insecure, confused. 0327
• Jane Someone really should
• just put him out of his misery.
• 0046

43
Jane vs Carolyn

• Closer than Lester
• Still dont care about her heart.
• I watched you very closely. You didnt screw up
  once. 1800
• Superficial comment
• You cannot count on anyone except
• yourself.
• You ungrateful little brat!
• Wrong way of teaching and
• being a model.

44
Ricky

• Clips (Ill put it)
• The scene of the plastic bag

45
Rickys Background

• Childhoodbeing sent to the hospital
• he would always save the most random, weird
  things 0027
• Family strict dad and wordless mom
• - smoking dope selling drugs ? having a
  respectable job
• - the discipline father (military background)
• - the careless mother (hasnt known Ricky
  didnt eating bacon for years)

46
Repression Isolation ?

• Accept the truth
• Never underestimate the power of denial.
  (001005)
• EX.
• Enjoy the beauty
• Sometimes there's so muchbeautyin the
  world.
• EX.

47
Definition of Beauty

• Through the Digital Video
• - plastic bag
• - dead stuffs
• (bird, homeless woman, and Lester)
• Ricky When you see something like that,
  it's like God is looking right at you, just
  
• for a second, and if you're
  careful, you can look right back
• Jane And what do you see?
• Ricky Beauty.

48
Beauty compare with other characters

• Carolyn Bobby ? Success
• Angela Rickys dad ? Perfection
• Rickys mom ? Obedience (Death Living)
• --------------------------------------------------
  --------------
• Ricky ? Seize the beauty
• Sometimes there's so muchbeauty
• in the world .I feel like I can't take it...
• and my heart...is just going tocave in.
• 
  
  (Alive Living)

49
Evident Weakness

• Ricky ? Angela
• you're boring, and you're totally ordinary
• Ricky ? Rickys dad
• What a sadold man you are.
• Ricky ? Jane
• You'd rather he had the crush on you.

50
Frank Fitts

• Used to be a Colonel in the military
• Believes in extreme forms of discipline
• Has Decidedly off-putting personal habits
• Tend to demand and control the people around him
• Angry, bitter and rude
• A deeply homophobia

51
Isolation

• Interaction of Family members
• A. In the dining room
• - The reaction to the
• doorbell
• B. In the living room
• 1. No conversation
• 2. Silence
• 3. Awkward

52
Isolation

• Relationship with people
• A. Reaction to people he
• doesnt know
• 1. Passive attitude
• 2. Unfriendly and hostile
• B. How he introduce
• himself
• 1. Address himself with title
• 2. Colonel Frank Fitts, US
• Marine Corps

53
Isolation

• His past and role
• A. A typical father
• 1. Strict
• 2. Undeniable
• 3. Respectable
• B. A Colonel
• 1. Tough
• 2. Manly
• 3. Proud

54
Depression

• As a Colonel

• As a father he wants to be

• Stayed in high demanding position
• Dominate the situation
• Used to be

• Be caring
• Have close father-son relation
• Express his love

• A typical father

• Definite authority
• Power of controlling family

• Rickys Father

55
Depression

• Normality

• Abnormality

• Heterosexuality
• Have a perfect family
• Man should be though and masculine

• Homosexuality
• Immorality
• Have a drug- addicted son
• Rebellion

What a sad old man
56
Release

• Leisters answer of marriage
• A. Sense of empathy
• B. Self-identification

• His smile and the kiss

Quotes Frank Your wife is with another man,
and...you dont care? Leister Nope, our
marriage is just for show, a commercial for how
normal we are.
57
Conflicts

• The Fights
• Feel be exposed
• Feel naked
• Feel shame
• Feel guilt
• The Gun Shot
• Sense of shame
• Sense of guilt
• Sense of controlling

• Symbols
• Locked Closet
• Nazi Plate
• Gun collection

58
Psychoanalysis

• Superego
• Morality
• Typical father
• Role of a Colonel Discipline, Rules and
  Dignity

• Id
• Desire of Homosexuality
• Father love

• Ego
• Compromise
• Pretending
• Hostile to outside

59
David Kung
60
Angela1. Angela is a friend of Janes, and she
is also a girl who yearns for expectations and
exceptionality of others.
61
2. Jane, Angela and Rick are in the same school.
But Rick moved in to the neighborhood in which
Jane lives. As a result, Janes relationships
with Rick become closer than that with Angelas
duo to the identification Jane figures out with
Rick.
62
3.Angela is a young girl who deems herself to be
an extraordinary one and therefore looks down
upon Ricky because of his weird behavior.
63
4. Angela seems to be a strong girl but in
reality she is quite weak. We can see this from
the reactions she shows when she learns that Jane
and Ricky are going to be couple.
64
5. Another weakness can be seen by the desire she
has to have sex with Lester, who is the father of
Jane. Thus, she aspires to become the spotlight
of all the people around her, including Lester.
65
6. The rose petals appearing from Angela are
representing the loneliness and desire of both
Angela and Lester. Angela hopes to get the
affection by Lester, whereas Lester seeks the
power of being a true man from Angela.
66
Conclusion