British director Sam Mendes became one of the six lucky ones in the history of world cinema to receive the most prestigious award for his debut film. The best American film, American Beauty, about the midlife crisis, was so liked by Hollywood film academics who were close to critical in years, that they gave five Oscars in 1999.
general information
The motto of the film "look closely" accurately reflects the content and semantic content of the picture. Spectators and critics saw in the characters a picture of themselves or their acquaintances living in the neighborhood. Perhaps due to the fact that in American Beauty, the actors and the roles they performed were selected based on consensus between the screenwriter, director and producers.
With a film budget of $ 15 million, the film raised $ 356.3 million and many cinematic awards at the worldwide box office.
Selling Script Rights
After working for several years on television, where he was writing sitcom scripts, Alan Ball decided to try his hand at the film industry in 1997. The literary agent Andrew Kannava of the United Talent Agency invited him to write on the sample several scripts on arbitrary topics. Ball offered the agent a choice of three synopsies: two traditional romantic comedies and American Beauty, conceived in the early 90's. Kannava chose a drama that did not have a clear commercial appeal, but, in his opinion, was written with real inspiration.
Alan believed that the script would be his hallmark in the movie environment and was not hoping for a sale. However, the work aroused the interest of almost all large film companies, according to their reviews, “American Beauty” had commercial potential. After a series of negotiations held by Kannava, American Beauty was sold to DreamWorks. Ball agreed to the deal thanks to the assistance of several executive producers, including Steven Spielberg, and the assurance that sharp points would be smoothed out. In addition, the script was just bought for $ 250 thousand.
Director's Choice
The producers of the film Dan Jinx and Bruce Cohen involved the screenwriter in the selection of the director and casting of the actors. They met with about 20 well-known directors, including Michael Nichols and Robert Zemeckis (they both refused). Since the initial budget of the film was estimated at $ 6-8 million, Ball considered this unjustified due to the fact that attracting celebrities would cause an increase in the budget.
At the same time, English theater director Sam Mendes restored the production of the musical Cabaret, after watching which Spielberg invited him to take up the film. Ball, who was impressed by the musical production, approved the British candidate, noting his keen visual flair. Mendes met several key figures in DreamWorks several times and was then approved as the main director. A contract was signed with him with a minimum wage, which is allowed by the union (American Guild of Directors), $ 150 thousand. He later said that after deducting taxes and paying a theater agent, his net income was only $ 38,000.
Movie title
According to some reviews of the film "American Beauty" (1999), this is not quite the correct translation of the original American name American beaty. Literally means "American beauty" or "American beauty." In Bulgaria, the film was called "American Charming". The creators of the film "American Beauty" (1999) themselves interpreted the name in three ways, we can assume that the film is named:
- for the variety of roses "American Beauty", which Caroline is engaged in cultivation, as well as they are used in many episodes;
- in honor of the young beautiful American Angela, whom the hero of the film fell in love with;
- as a reflection of what Americans think is beautiful and most valued.
Some critics like American Beauty better, which, in their opinion, more accurately conveys the original symbolism of the name. The most important confirmation is the advertising poster, which depicts a rose against the background of the body of Angela. On the other hand, there is no generally accepted translation of the name of the American beaty variety. In some special publications and fiction, authoritative translators call this rose "the beauty of America."
Interpretation of meaning
In the statements and reviews of the film "American Beauty" by many critics, it is noted that opinions were divided about the interpretation of the semantic load. A significant number of viewers and film experts perceived the picture as a description of the traditional search for the meaning of life, a protest against the everyday dullness of life in a provincial suburb and even gender identity. At the same time, director Sam Mendes says, perhaps a little cunningly, that for him, with each new reading of the script, the meaning of the film was each time revealed on the other side.
According to some critics, the meaning of the film "American Beauty" and the audience’s reviews also do not have an unambiguous interpretation. Writer Wayne Booth wrote that the tough satire in the film on the American lifestyle belittles the importance of beauty. The screenwriter shows his rejection of such morality to the vision of beauty through the suffering and oversight of ordinary suburban residents. According to reviews, American Beauty turned out to be a compromise film between the creators of the picture, including the director, screenwriter, and all the specialists who took part in the production.
Main character
Initially, the director saw the role of the main character in the movie Kevin Spacey, although other famous Hollywood actors, including Tom Hanks and Jeff Daniels, also participated in the samples for the role.
Lester Burnham hates his job at an advertising agency. The 42-year-old man has a midlife crisis, and his relationship with his wife (Annette Bening), which simply annoys him, deteriorates. And the teenage daughter, played by Tora Birch, is the main difficult child of American cinema of the 90s, gradually looking away from him in search of herself.
Moderate monotonous comfortable life, inexpressive appearance, boring and unloved work, imitation of family relationships - for this he has to constantly lie and do what he does not like. Even the simple act of his neighbor Ricky, who “dared” to quit his job, evokes his admiration. For Leicester, the main goal is to free himself from the hypocrisy in which he lived almost his entire conscious life. He suddenly makes a discovery for himself that the colorful and comfortable world surrounding him is a real purgatory.
Visible images of the crisis
The director constantly puts the hero in situations showing his constraint by various life circumstances. He often makes useless, and sometimes simply harmful to him actions. The scene where Leicester is self-satisfied, taking a morning shower in a booth, figuratively shows the enclosed space of the prison cell. Like the frames in the office, showing his reflection in the monitor against the background of vertical stripes, like a prison bars. And a similar visual series constantly recalls the crisis of the protagonist.
Many scenes are almost completely repeated to show the routine and monotony of his life. For example, two scenes of Berners family dinners, when the characters are shot in a similar way, except for the details. According to reviews, American Beauty (1999) is a very realistic and colorful show of everyday life.
He is enclosed in this space, almost erased from life. The protagonist himself says that his life does not swiftly, but slowly stretches in the ocean of time. And he often thinks about death, practically waiting for it. This becomes his obsession. According to reviews of American Beauty, it can be concluded that the creators of the picture managed to get viewers to think about the frailty of being.
Awakening
The key moment of the film “American Beauty” (1999), critics consider the episode with Leicester’s trip to her daughter’s speech, where he first met Angela (Mina Suvari). While the cheerleading group performs their dance to the music "On Broadway", Leicester is focused only on Angela. The director shows his dreams: there is nobody but the two of them, and a charming girl dances only for him in an empty room. Slow-motion footage should show that the moments of the performance freeze and stretch for the hero in love.
His sexual attraction to a young girl is a catalyst that allows you to begin to shed the shackles of everyday life, which he simply despises. Angela comes to visit his daughter, Lester eavesdrops on a conversation where she talks about her “sexual exploits”, and he finds out that she finds him attractive, but not in very good athletic form. And Leicester takes up physical exercises, wanting to please the young beauty.
Rebirth
He firmly embarks on the path of resistance after meeting Ricky Fitz, who became an example of a free life for him. After smoking marijuana with his new drag dealer, Lester decides that he can live differently. With a scandal, he quits his hated job at an advertising company and, remembering the times of his youth, gets a job at a diner, thanks to which he begins to see new prospects. He begins to realize that Angela is quite achievable.
First of all, Leicester begins to resist the oppression of his wife. Carolyn finds him masturbating in his soul, and for the first time in many years he spoke out about their intimate life. The hero is trying to regain the right to vote, suppressed by his wife and daughter.
Real colonel
Other actors in American Beauty (1999) include Chris Cooper, who played retired Marine Colonel Francis Fitz, a Vietnam War veteran. The father of the freest man in the picture of Ricca, whom he is trying to educate by army methods.
When the main character ran out of marijuana, he threw a message on the pager, and Ricky brought a new bag of drug. Fitz observes from the window and sees a scene of oral sex: a neighbor is lying on the couch, and his son is leaning over him. In fact, Ricky just showed how to do a self-roll, and the scene is just a figment of his homophobic imagination. He beats his son when he returns, and says that it would be better for Ricky to die than to be a homosexual. The son in response makes a cuming out and leaves the house, seeking to get rid of house tyranny. Later, a desperate Fitz comes to the garage to Burnham, who talks about the betrayal of his wife, adding that he does not care. The colonel thinks that his neighbor is hinting to him that he is also homosexual and kisses him. But, having received a refusal, the disappointed leaves.
What is not included in the film
To understand the reaction of a belligerent homophobe, you need to know the background. In the original version there were memoirs of a veteran. They describe in detail homosexual relations with a colleague during the Vietnam War.
When his sexual partner dies, Fitz sincerely begins to believe that he died for perfect sin. The scenes were removed from the final script, because otherwise they would be only the memories of one character. In reviews of American Beauty (1999), the colonel is often called not only a homophobe, but also an outright fascist.
The freest
The least notorious person in the picture, serving as an example for the protagonist, earns a living by selling drugs. In reviews of American Beauty, viewers often call Ricky Fitz (Wes Bentley) the freest and most uncomplicated person. As the plot develops, the main character is more and more imbued with a vision of Ricky's surrounding reality.
His mundane actions (quit his job, left home) become a catalyst and an incentive to action for Leicester. Ricky is presented as a true connoisseur of everyday American beauty, which he constantly captures on camera, because he is afraid to forget these moments. In one of the episodes, the younger Fitz shows Jane the most beautiful, in his opinion, shots: a plastic bag under the gusts of wind on the wall.
Final scene
Finally, Lester wakes up when, lying with Angela in bed, refuses sex, having learned that she is a virgin. And he begins to see the girl and his family as fragile and wonderful creatures and perceive the real world as he really is.
Starting a new life, the hero comes to a final denouement. He smiles as he looks at family photographs when a shot rings out. In the final footage, his family, Angela, a colonel with a gun and Lester, dying with a peaceful smile on his lips.