American Beauty to this day remains one of the most brilliant satires ever made in film cinema in its heartbreakingly honest depiction of the social disillusionment behind the notion of obtaining the “American Dream.” This concept varies considerably depending on the context under which one assumes in examining this so vastly desired commodity, yet what American Beauty brings to the drawing board is the underlying deception inherent in the meaning that so many us in our consumer-driven culture fail to realize. Kevin Spacey is undoubtedly in one of his most groundbreaking roles to date as Lester Burnham, whom paints a portrait of a desperately yearning middle-aged husband and father having lived a great deal of his existence—mediocre at best—under the distorted pretense that material things measure one’s overall happiness. The entirety of the conceptualization driving the storyline is to completely disintegrate these illusive pre-conceived notions pertaining to this phenomenon of organized conformity and offers some semblance of hope to everyone fighting their own individual but similarly constraining plights. Deeper, intricate meanings are illustrated from all different angles and constantly multi-faceted; what this film achieves to do that so many others strive to but lack in their conviction is that it gives viewers a window into our own true selves and the instinctive desires that are inherent within all human beings. We are not necessarily made whole by the sum of money in our bank accounts or even the meticulously built houses in which we feel a false sense of security in—brick, vinyl, neatly cut grass, red door, blue shudders, white picket fence and all; these are simply physical possessions in which we accept at face value and in turn begin to harbor the idealistic expectation that such disposal means will give us a sense of belonging. Isn’t that what we all truly want, to belong in this painstakingly earnest world that holds aesthetic absolutism at the upmost standard of precedence above all else? Another profoundly essential element to American Beauty is in the tagline itself: look closer. As we follow Lester along his journey of self-discovery and enlightenment, we are consistently reminded of the exquisite certainty that there’s truly beauty in everything around us, oftentimes found within complex places that we’re not readily familiar with upon the surface. This is the message I took away with me during the scene in which Ricky’s filming nothing more than a mere plastic bag floating in the wind; he’s in tune with his own sense of individualism and thus has the ability to shape his own reality through unique perspective. This is a fundamental layer in the thread of sincerity and beauty in imperfection that the film is interwoven through. To show us the downfall in submitting to the imposed societal expectations of our culture, we’re similarly introduced to characters such as Carolyn Burnham and Colonel Fits, who are primarily defined by their superficiality and rigid needs to maintain public appearances; these are people who have seemingly done everything “right”—at least in their own regard—yet are internally the most tragic of all characters. Carolyn deludes herself into assuming happiness by adopting a positive-thinking philosophy of harsh discipline and self-affirming mantras. This method of self-help she employs merely serves as a euphemism for self-deception that even her gratifying narcissism doesn’t affectively mask. Colonel Fits is both emotionally and physically abusive towards his son, due to his struggle in having to project an exterior façade that is constantly at an inner conflict with his true self. It’s important to consider that it is not their flaws that render these characters the most hopeless in the films tone of moral conviction, but instead their failure to accept them as a means of escaping their prevailing social categories. While several characters remain to be seen as thoroughly exaggerated and oftentimes stereotypical—Jane as the diligently rebellious teenage daughter juxtaposed with the audacious promiscuity and sexual appeal of her best friend, Angela, whom becomes the object of Lester’s desire—their individual sub stories serve as a means of balancing the film’s pace and come to intertwine with one another as the plot thickens and grows with resonance before drawing the story to its conclusion. The dialogues between characters are deeply profound; their interactions always dripping with oftentimes disturbing irony. Alan Ball, the screenplay writer, produced a script that is nothing short of a masterpiece and Sam Mendes breathes a life into American Beauty that masterfully highlights the deep-seated symbolism essential to the films philosophy. It’s to some extent inevitable to feel cheated in the midst of the climactic ending, upon which the conclusion reveals Lester’s tragic fate, however doesn’t once take away from the cathartic sense of hope and reassurance of finding happiness in fulfillment we’re ultimately left with.