AMERICAN BEAUTY

[Changkyu]

Jane hates her parents. Her father, Lester, she thinks her father is loser for everything. And she pissed off to Lester's behavior. Such as he got crush on Jane's friend Angela and always fight wih his wife. And Jane feel that she is being ignored from parents as well.

I think every people have own fear. But in this movie, they want to deny their fears and want to find out their dreams. For example, Lester Burnham has miserable life. Ordinary life and being ignored from everyone. But after he saw Angela, he started to workout and change his life. I guess trying to change his life means little "Dream" of Lester.

[mjonmovie]

Why does Janie "hate" her parents?
-Janie hates her parents because she thought they had so interfered about her life. Especially, Janie hates her father, Lester, as to want to kill him. It’s because that Lester is not a successful, reliable father, and also he felt love to Janie’s friend, Angela, which is disgusted for Janie.

Lester regrets "20 years of feeling sedated." What do the other characters regret/fear about their lives? (Carolyn, Angela, Rickie Fitts, Frank Fitts) Carolyn fears about being a victim, being afraid of being hurt. Angela fears about being ordinary. She does everthing to become a striking person. Rickie Fitts fears about fear itself, while his father, Frank Fitts fears about homosexuality, which is because he is a homosexual.

[sei]

Janie hates her parents because she thinks that they are not really interested in her and do not pay attention to her. So she has fear to get indifference. Lester regrets that he did not say his opinion and focus on himself in the past. Carolyn fears about not being perfect, being incapable and losing social power. Angela is worried about being ordinary because she wants to be an extraordinary person. Rickie really desires freedom and he fears about strict rule of his father without the freedom. Frank fears that he become an abnormal person (by his standard) like a gay. And he is also regretting that he could not be honest to his love.

I really enjoyed this movie. Actually the entire story is pretty shocking but when I just look into each person, every story is possible in a real life. Characters are a little more extreme then in reality, but people have many same fear with the characters. Also I feel sympathy to each characters because their strange behaviors are coming from some pressure like social image, rules, etc. I like realism movies and this movie is the most realistic movie that I ever saw because it is strange.

Teacher's note: Thanks, author for a passionate and thoughtful post. I think that all the characters are designed so that we may feel sympathy for them. I'm glad you are able to feel this. If you were asked to choose the character for whom you have the most sympathy, that might be a difficult question to answer. Thanks for posting.

--mike http://www.moviesgrowenglish.com

[Sara_alhejazi]

Janie hates her parents because they were not paying attention to her, and also her parents were always quarrel, which made the love in the family is missing.

All of them had fears in their lives, for example, Frank was very keen to Rickie to not doing something bad. Angela was afraid to be an ordinary girl and non distinctive. Carolyn also was afraid to be a victim after her cheating.

I think that the police will arrest Caroline because she had a gun, or Ricky because of the video. It is very difficult to prove that Frank is the person who killed Lester because the lack of evidence and the lack of any kind of relationship between them.

I really like the story of the movie, When love exists among family members, the life of the family will be stable and happy. Lester wanted to prove his existence in his family, but he did not know how to do that after losing the relationship with his wife and daughter, which led to the destruction of his family.

[Mimi.t96]

American Beauty is the type of movie that I really love. I know people may think that characters in this movie are really crazy. But I think each character has each aspect that people in this world hold. Lester wants to be young again maybe when he was a collage student. It was the best time in his life for him and that's why he fell in love with Angela and started smoking weed again.

I think that Jane wanted to be loved by someone so that she could feel she's special for someone. And Carolyn wanted to be strong. She just wanted to spend her life as her ideal. Angela didn't want to be ordinary girl, she wanted to be perfect because she knew that she is not so special. Rickie...umm I think he wanted to make his life full of beauty someday like he saw in dead women's face. He wanted to live with beauty and think that his life was beautiful when he passes away. Rickie's father had a secret but he couldn't tell anybody. He wanted to be himself, and he thought he found the same person who has same problem but he wasn't.

Each character has a own fear toward his/her life. But one thing in common among them is the love that they have for one another, but they didn't know it because it was too much to feel or touch.

I think the last scene when Lester plays back his life when he was shot, he didn't remember about Angela or Rickie or Rickie's father, but he remembers his family, the people he loved the most in his life. It shows how beautiful his life was. And it makes ordinances think of their lives. This movie is so unique and deep, but the massage in this movie is very simple. I want to watch it again:)

Teacher's note: Oh, I so love this post! This author seems to really understand "American Beauty," winner of five Academy Awards. I have watched it 5-6 times now, and I understand it better each time. I wonder if this author has a theory about the root cause of Lester's fate? I have a wild theory which is based on some pretty compelling evidence. So, dear author, I have thrown down the gauntlet. Who really ****ed Lester? Thanks for posting.

--mike http://www.moviesgrowenglish.com

[Noof77]

The movie is all about looking closer. Janie hates her parents because she want them to care about her, she want their attention. Carolyn her mother doesn't know how to show her feelings anymore. She was busy in her life and she forgot about her family. Lester the father was lost. He needed to feel good about him self that's why he thought about his doughtier's best friend Angela. Angela the beautiful girl who was afraid of being ordinary "Nothing more worse than being an ordinary person". She loves grabbing attention and for that reason she felt good when Lester was looking to her. Rickie the psycho neighbor as Angela called him was a drug dealer and he was afraid of his father. He sees his self in Janie that's why he was recording her life.

The movie shows each character fear and the message is to express your feelings and show the people you love that you love them. Don't make the busy life take you from your family. Don't reach the point that everyone in this movie reached.

Teacher's note: This author makes a couple of amazing points. "It's all about looking closer." This is exactly what the director wants us to do. Looking closer applies to everything in life, not just "American Beauty." This is the message. Everybody listening?! Also, this author notices why Ricky films Janie and why he is so attracted to her. I agree strongly with this author on both points. Thanks for a super insightful contribution to this thread.

--mike http://www.moviesgrowenglish.com

[young]

At first, I thought that this movie is a bright or happy story because of the title, "American Beauty". However, this movie shows the loneliness of modern people and this feeling does belong to not only characters of this movie but also everyone including me. Every character of this movie tries to live happily, but it is really difficult because they experience the deficiency of the most basic feeling, which is love about life and people.

For example, Jane hates her parents because she wants to get interest and affection from her parents, but father(Lester) becomes lethargic to life and mother(Annette) is always busy to be show to others how she lives happily. Naturally, Jane become interested in Ricky who shows his mind and attention to her.

Sure, I know well that everyone of this society lives alone. However, we can become happy through our own heart and love to each other. This is the feeling that Lester feels while watching his family photo at the last of the movie. But, we usually forget this important truth because we pursue the money or power in our lives. This movie makes me think about what is important for happy life.

[Foton]

Janie dose not like her parents because they always fight in front of her and ignore her. That make her felt they are not a happy family. Also, sometimes she felt that his father make her forested. Janie also started to be more angry than her father gave her friend (Angela) more attention than her, so she told her boyfriend that she really hate him and shi want to killed him.

The movie was good, but actually I don't like it because there are many different stories, so i felt like there isn't any connection in the beginning, so that why i was confused but in the end I understand what the connection.

[Non5553]

Janie heated her parents because they were fighting over and. So, they were far away from here all the time.
She was very opposite specially from her father who was careless. Moreover, he wasn't good enough for her as a father due to the he followed her friend and that was shameful. At the end Janie becomes more angry and she started to told her boyfriend that she wishes if he can kill her father. But the fact is that she had was not serious and she decided to go out with her boyfriend and stay with him.

I like the movie and I feel sad because the father in fact was a good father but his family couldn't realize that

[afj8909]

Janie hates her parents, especially her father because she thinks that her father is a looser in his lifetime.

Carolyn fears that she will be a victim. Finally, she regrets that she try to kill her husband. Angela fears of being ordinary. Rickie fears of his father because his father, Frank Fitts, hits him. Frank fears of that his son would be a gay.

The police will blame Frank because Frank has a bloody shirt from the murder. And, the gun has Frank's fingerprint.

The movie "American Beauty" shows a darkness in the US life.