Existentialism, the philosophy that life is meaningless if one fails to find their own purpose, is not one that is widely seen in film. American Beauty, directed by Sam Mendes, is a film that revolves around the theme of existentialism. Lester Burnham, the main character, a sad, troubled 42 year old man, married to a plastic real estate agent, has a typical teenage daughter and is the narrator of this film. Before he becomes enlightened he expresses his ignorance of how his life is falling to pieces. When he finally awakens he attempts to sleep with an underage girl, no questions asked, and displays a “que sera’ sera'” attitude towards his cheating wife. Through all of these rebellious acts he exhibits perfectly the stage in existentialist philosophy where he finds his meaning in beauty and small things.
Throughout the film Lester himself demonstrates that he is a victim of existentialism because he never thinks there is any meaning to life. He goes through life like a robot, describes his wife as “bloodless” and really has absolutely no life. He says, “In less than a year I’ll be dead, of courseI don’t know that yet. But in a way I’m dead already” (Mendes). Enjoyment is something Lester never has, and he is always in a haze of meaninglessness, caught in the vicious cycle of his dry life. A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Texts says, “…life was at bottom, meaningless… “(1), exactly the attitude Lester holds at this point. Lester goes just by this definition, so sedated by his vacant life, he never feels that there could possibly be more out there for him. It is apparent that he is not thinking, and just accepting, not conscious of his existence, and has not yet found his purpose, the center of existentialism.
Throughout the film Lester demonstrates a dry, existentialist, worn out attitude. He is too exhausted with the dreariness of his everyday life, and barely responds when he finds out his daughter hates him and his wife is cheating on him. He is rushing to his wife’s car when he drops his briefcase. All his papers fall out and his wife and daughter offer only contempt. This is an example of his attitude that nothing can change, and that it has to be like this. William Arnold of the Seattle Post Intelligencer describes Lester as “empty, bored, and increasingly self-destructive”(1). His human emotions have all been tuned out and he has no meaning at this discouraging and sunken point. He accepts his pain and emptiness of his life here without a second thought as to what he could be doing, or what his true meaning could be.
The turning point in the film and in Lester’s own consciousness is when Lester finally “wakes up. It hits him, how meaningless his life has been up until now, and he finds a purpose. This first occurs when he notices his daughter Jane’s, best friend, Angela, the American Beauty. He is stunned, and begins a sexual awakening. Lester has a realization of what he’s been missing. He now craves for his youth again, beginning the stage of defining himself. Regarding Lester’s lust for Angela, William Arnold says, “The emotion makes him see how wasted his life has become and sparks a personal rebellion that soon takes over every aspect of his existence”(1). It is clear that when Lester sets his eyes on the American Beauty, something clicks, and his maturity and urges jump back many years to what he has been missing. He buys a 1970 Pontiac Firebird, smokes marijuana, works out to build muscles, and basically goes through his youth again in all its aspects and cravings. He has realized that life is meaningless unless you hang a name on it, and recognize all its beauty, escaping the existentialist prison, of just accepting the world as is, without question. In “Existentialism in Literature, 1930-1950” it is stated, “If god is for all intents and purposes out of the immediate (earthly) picture, twentieth century man is, according to existentialists, responsible for his own destiny. No longer is it possible for a thinking person to turn to a higher spiritual authority for direct assistance; man must take charge” (Discovering Collection). From this, it is clear that man cannot rely on anyone or anything else, if he wants to find meaning, he must find it. Similarly, Lester realizes the horrifically artificial, cold, and sad lifestyle he has been leading and resolves to change it. Through his impulsive urges, and acting on his revelations and realizations, he finds a purpose and meaning.
Aside from Angela, the American Beauty, there is another character that really helps Lester recognize that there is so much meaning and beauty in the world. Ricky Fitts, Lester’s next door neighbor, enlightens Lester as to what he has been missing. Through Ricky’s videos of everyday things, Lester comes to think about what could be passing him by in his own life, spurring him on even more in his quest for what he has missed. Alan Stone of the Boston Review says, (of Ricky) “He is the spiritual catalyst of the film and lives for beauty” (2). With this prophet, Lester can begin to see the world in a new light, recognizing beauty and meaning he has never seen before. When he begins to become enlightened as to all the hidden beauty he says, “It’s hard to stay mad when there’s so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I’m seeing it all at once, and it’s too much. My heart fills up like a balloon that’s about to burst …” (Mendes). Through Ricky’s help, and strange wisdom, Lester adds more meaning to his life right up until his death. Through finding beauty, in addition to his other rejuvenating awakenings, he finds a deeper, more beautiful dimension to his life. Lester now takes an active stance to overhaul his dead lifestyle to that of one filled with beauty and meaning.
Lester now brings sweeping changes into his life. No longer is he the accepting, miserable businessman with a contemptuous wife and child . He no longer feels that there is nothing else out there for him. With the help of unexpected people and events, he undergoes a transformation into a fit, enlightened, rejuvenated and absurdly happy man with meaning. Roger Ebert says, “He does reckless and foolish things in this movie, but he doesn’t deceive himself; he knows he’s running wild-and chooses to, burning up the future years of an empty lifetime for a few flashes of freedom. He may have lost everything by the end of the film, but he’s no longer a loser”(2). Lester has found his meaning, and dies happy, having overcome being a victim of his meaningless existential existence.
Lester Burnham in American Beauty goes through life, as a sad, empty husband with no purpose. This is apparent in his lack of care for everything happening around him, but he “comes to” by realizing how much more there is to life, and how much beauty there really is in the world. He has found his meaning, be it immature or against society’s morals and has, in a way, become conscious of his existential existence.
WORKS CITED
Arnold, William. “”Beauty” Find Brilliance at the Heart of Bleakness” MRQE.com. 2007. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. 15 May 2007 < http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/movies/beautq.shtml.>
Ebert, Roger. “American Beauty” MRQE.com. 2007. Chicago Sun-Times. 15 May 2007 http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990924…>
American Beauty. Dir. Sam Mendes. Perf. Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening. DVD. Dreamworks, 1999.
Stone, A., Alan. “American Beauty and Elaine Scarry Look for Aesthetic Experience in Unexpected Places.” MRQE.com. 2007. Boston Review. 15 May 2007 http://bostonreview.net/BR25.1/stone.html>
Existentialism” A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms. 1-2. Facts on File. 7 May 2007.
“Existentialism in Literature, 1930-1950” Discovering Collection. 1-3. Galegroup. 6 May 2007.
Annotated Bibliography
American Beauty. Dir. Sam Mendes. Perf. Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening. DVD. Dreamworks, 1999. Mendes’ film deals with a sad, dejected businessman, (Lester Burnham) who sees everything as meaningless. Eventually, through a series of awakenings, he breaks out of this mindset and realizes life can be as meaningful as he wants it to.
Arnold, William. “”Beauty” Find Brilliance at the Heart of Bleakness” MRQE.com. 2007. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. 15 May 2007 < http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/movies/beautq.shtml.>
Arnold speaks of how Lester Burnham, stuck in the false American dream, suffers, and then finds himself. Arnold describes how Lester’s revelation occurred, and that it was good one, that needed to occur. From the article it is clear that Arnold agrees that Lester has found beauty and meaning in the world, passing through his meaningless stage.
Ebert, Roger. “American Beauty” MRQE.com. 2007. Chicago Sun-Times. 15 May 2007 http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990924…>Roger Ebert, a well known movie critic explains how American Beauty is a tragedy, but one that has good parts. He talks of how although Lester ultimately loses everything, he has found his meaning, and therefore has succeeded, no longer accepting his meaningless empty existential life as it was.
Stone, A., Alan. “American Beauty and Elaine Scarry Look for Aesthetic Experience in Unexpected Places.” MRQE.com. 2007. Boston Review. 15 May 2007 http://bostonreview.net/BR25.1/stone.html> Stone here, speaks of how A Scarry’s book and American Beauty both bring in the search for meaning. He ties in Ricky Fitts and Angela, and the revelations they helped him get to find his meaning.
“Existentialism” A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms. 1-2. Facts on File. 7 May 2007. http://www.fofweb.com/Lit/MainDetailPrint.asp?iPin=Gfflithem02…Here, the philosophy of existentialism is discussed thoroughly. Its history, and the fact that life holds no meaning, except for what man meaning man finds for himself is discussed.
“Existentialism in Literature, 1930-1950” Discovering Collection. 1-3.Galegroup. 6 May 2007. http://find.galegroup.com/srcx/retrieve.do?subjectParam=Locale%25… In this article from the Discovering Collection, the literary history of existentialism is discussed, as well as how it rose as a view after the world wars. Many works are discussed that have to do with existentialism supporting the idea that live is a barren landscape unless you find a purpose.
