True Beauty – American Beauty and Mythological Undertones
             American Beauty, the winner of five Academy Awards, examines the captivating representation of the American Dream gone askew in the complex 1990's society. American Beauty was released after the dot-com rise and fall that crushed the American dreams of many, yet also gives the viewers a fresh and contemporary vision that is reminiscent of mythology. American Beauty portrays the "American nightmare" instead of the All-American dream and "good life" that society is trying to attain. The movie shows how society has achieved many goals but has never been noticed or compensated for our efforts. Beauty "looks at how each of the characters is depicted in a complex fashion and how their relationships are multifaceted and often strained as a result of a variety of characteristics and personal attributes. The film exhibits many more complex issues that are left unresolved by the conclusion, including marriage, maternalism, reawakening, and morality." (1). American Beauty is a "highly inventive black comedy. It was a mystery story with a genuine final twist. It was a kalidiscopic journey through American suburbia...It was a series of love stories. It was about imprisonment in the cages we all make for ourselves and our hope-for escape. It was about loneliness. It was about beauty. One thing I was certain of, the script, like its characters, wasn't at all what it first appeared. (2). The main motif of American Beauty is the introduction of the American Dream – "a pursuit of happiness through material objects. It examines the various characters and how they represent and symbolize the false dream, as exposed through the life and transformation of the main character, Lester Burnham." (3).
             Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is imprisoned by his job and especially by his life. Lester even claims that ...