‘His realisation comes from watching the cheerleader’s routine at the basketball. Following this he claims that he has been in a coma for twenty years and is only now waking up’, (Deneen 2002, 101), which suggests that the majority of his life, indeed the time in which he has been married, working the professional job, raising and daughter and living in the prosperous suburbs with nice cars and fancy furniture has meant nothing. He attempts to change and re live his youth. He quits his job and applies to work at a fast food outlet, typically worked at by teenagers as a first job. He smokes marijuana and begins working out, living out the life he did when he was young which as he describes ‘all I did was party and get laid. I had my whole life a head of me…’ (American Beauty 1999) this is again critiquing marriage and the suburban life. He claims he had his whole life ahead of him, his American Dream, but instead he is living out a nightmare.
Lester’s wife Carolyn is the most success-driven character throughout the entire film; however, her moral side fails as a result. She constantly repeats her mantra adopted from the King of real estate ‘In order to be successful in life one must project the appearance of success.’ The saying is repeated throughout all aspects of the film, as it relates to keeping up appearances, the idea that they were all living the American Dream, or at least appeared to be. Lester however, challenges this masquerade by following what his heart desire, and not acting or pretending for anybody. He even critiques his wife, claiming that all she cares about is appearance and possession. At the party he mocks the way in which she would prefer him to act. Instead of being the well mannered charming husband he prefers to rebel and smoke marijuana in the parking lot. He tries to relive his youth through her by seducing her on the couch, telling her of how vivacious she used to be. This seems to work for a while before she realises he is about to spill beer on the sofa, which infuriates Lester. ‘So what, it’s just a couch. This isn’t life. It’ just stuff’ (American Beauty 1999). This successfully sets up her up to be the materialistic and evil character that has turned this suburban life into the nightmare.
The neighbours, consists of the father, Colonel Frank Fitts, a mother and a son. While they seem like a decent family, behind closed doors, the Colonel is a homophobic violent controlling father; the mother seems to have some mental disorder while Ricky portrays his obedience to his father while behind his back is selling drugs and faking the urine tests his father gives him. The film critiques the traditional nuclear suburban family. It is portrayed as ‘a repository of deceit, conformity, materialism, martial and especially sexual discontent, selfishness, anxiety, psychological disorder, substance abuse, and even outright violence and hysteria’ (Deneen 2002, 102). These two families are considered to be the normal, the families in which audience should be able to relate to and yet American Beauty critics these ‘traditional’ families portraying their American Dream as violence, dissatisfying and predictable. It is only the gay couple Jim and Jim who appear generous, warm, loving and most importantly, happy.
American Beauty questions masculinity and femininity through the main character of Lester and his wife Carolyn. Lester in particular, begins to question his own existence and relationships. ‘In unveiling the ‘fake’ ideologies we discover his ideals of his own body, relationships with females and the need for escapism from his own reality’ (Perry 1999). There is a lot of emphasis on what a contemporary man in his early 40s should look like. The film also looks at the common ideals of femininity and how it can be changed through the character of Carolyn. Carolyn is in control of the household, something which traditionally has been the role of the male. Lester feels trapped by his wife as she has all power over him. This is evident in scenes at the dinner table, where the music is chosen by Carolyn and neither Lester nor their daughter has choice over it. This form of power is different to the traditional view of men controlling the household and that men are the bread winners. Lester also breaks this challenge when he quits his job, leaving Carolyn to earn for the family. These acts go against all that the American Dream claims to be.
Carolyn upholds her identity well in public, however, when alone she often breaks down and cries, firstly in the house that she can not sell and secondly in the car where she tells herself that she will not be a victim. Carolyn is a representation of women who ‘will not be dominated by men and out in to the hegemonic view of women being weaker and the victims of our society.’ Normally it is the male who refuses to cry in front of others, but in American Beauty it is Carolyn who does not want to show her emotions. She also challenges the stereotypical gender role when she uses a gun to release her anger. A gun, normally a masculine object and phallic symbol challenges the stereotypical view of the woman being a nurturing person. This aspect of the film allows Carolyn to be more masculine.
‘The movie looks to dissect American culture and functioning on all levels, from daily interactions to the compounding societal pressures to become self-actualised and successful.’ The film takes typically stereotypical characters and peels away the layers to reveal their human suffering and distress. It suggests that despite the hardships that we endure in our daily lives, there is still beauty present in all that we do.
Lester is rewarded for striving for his own American Dream, as does his daughter and Ricky. Carolyn and the Colonel however pay the price for upholding their ‘successful image.’ The Colonel pretends to be the perfect citizen, fighting for his country, raising a perfect son and living out the American Dream. However, we later find out that his homophobia towards Jim and Jim and apparently towards Ricky (whom he believed was doing sexual acts for money) is a result of his own homosexual nature. Lester’s rejection of him drives him to shoot him through the head. However, it is only through Lester’s death that the characters are given a glimpse of hope.
Rocky is a movie which rings popular even into this millennium. Made in the 1976 it still finds it place in modern times and crosses generations across the decades. It is and was phenomenally successful and uplifting, taking place during the U.S. Bicentennial and has Philadelphia for a backdrop. It is an irresistible and painful movie of an underdog, striving for his American Dream. The film is set in old Philadelphia, an ethnic neighbourhood where working people on grimy streets live out dead-end lives. The city is also significant as historically it is one of the most important cities in the United States, as ‘it witnessed the adoptions of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress at Pennsylvania State house on 4th July, 1776’ (Spiezio 2006). ‘The movie’s hero, Rocky Balboa – The Italian Stallion – is an aging and unpromising product of the dismal boxing gyms’ (Shor 1977). Rocky is a part of a whole sector of working people left behind by U.S prosperity, far from affluence or the green suburbs. Few scenes are shot in the sun. Most take place at night or dusk and dawn, but if no sun shines on Rocky’s neighbourhood, at least he does.
Rocky has been described as an American symbol. It is the story of an American Dream, a Cinderella epic about the working class hero, past his prime, but still given the opportunity to compete at top level. Unlike American Beauty it supports the American Dream instead of critiquing it. However like American Beauty it encourages its characters to strive for their own American Dream. While he knows he may not win it is the opportunity to see if he can go the distance which he appreciates the most. Rocky makes the most of his big chance and the audience is on his side the whole way (Shor 1977).
It is an exiting story with Rocky the only character given real depth. He is very well mannered, friendly and liked, but can’t find dignity or a decent job or put together a respectable family life. He doesn’t look for ‘honest’ work but wants more out of life and winds up with less than the people around him. He either needs to rise above his class or will sink further below it. The other characters are sketched briefly, purely to give Rocky more depth. ‘The redemption of all their empty lives by Rocky’s rising star adds emotional tension to the film’ (Shor 1977).
The audience is set up to side with Rocky right throughout the film. We want him to win the girl and the fight. He is a decent guy who loves animals, makes small humorous jokes that puts a smile on faces and tries to educate the youth in his neighbourhood. He never talks dirty in front of women and appears to be very gentle despite his fighting quality. As an audience we want him to achieve his Dream. The chance for Rocky is set up when Apollo creed offers a shot of the title to an unknown. Creed and his promoters stage a lavish patriotic spectacle ‘as a national demonstration of what the Land of Opportunity can still offer after its first two hundred years’ (Shor 1977). In this sense Rocky supports American ideals of the Pursuit of Happiness, the striving for the American Dream and that America is the place in which it can occur.
With all the hype surrounding the fight, Rocky starts to doubt himself. Next to Creed he appears unpolished and inarticulate and is ridiculed by promoters and the press. All the while the audience still side with him. He starts to question why he is doing this and what he is trying to prove? However, he then turns his attention away from victory, to going the distance. As most working class men, he lowers his expectations and attempts to go the distance (Shor 1977). He says, ‘Ah come on, Adrian, it’s true. I was nobody. But that don’t matter either, you know? Cause I was thinking, it really don’t matter if I lose this fight. It really don’t matter if this guy opens my head, either. Cause all I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody’s ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see and that bell rings and I’m still standing, I’m gonna know for the first time in my life, see that I weren’t just another bum from the neighbourhood’ (Rocky 1976).
Rocky does this and gives Creed the fight of his life and in turn Rocky receives the support of the audience who identity with a nobody who wins respect and dignity. ‘Rocky emerges as a working class hero who answers the sudden call of the American Dream, going from disgrace to dignity in a magical moment’ (Gallantz 1978). His bruised but handsome face mirrors the two faces of the American Dream. The gentle Rocky must hurt people and get hurt himself in order to make it, or in this case to go the distance. ‘Opportunity is inseparable from both glory and tragedy, in the damage to oneself and others, up the U.S ladder to success’ (Gallantz 1978). Each man must pay a price, Rocky with his broken nose and Creed with broken ribs.
The story is a true fantasy. He will get married and enjoy the next few years with good pay checks and will retire and live happily ever after with Adrian. ‘The good in working people is fighting daily against a depraved society’ (Gallantz 1978). As Sylvester Stallone puts it Rocky is about ‘having the opportunity not to win, not to sell records…just the opportunity to run the race to see if you can finish or not’ (Shor 1977). Rocky is about love and passion, not fighting and muscles. It’s about having something inside that you know must be filled. Each person can finish the race if they just try hard enough.
American Beauty and Rocky each show different sides to the American Dream. American Beauty rejects the dream. Lester critiques all that he has and throws it all away to try and relive his youth. It is only after his death that he remembers all the good things in the past and gives hope to the other characters that they too will find happiness just as he did. Rocky is on the Pursuit of his happiness as well. However, he simply wants to see if he can go the whole way. The traditional underdog story has been described as an American symbol and its popularity suggests that many people relate to the story, everybody else wants the chance to run the race. Others audiences elate to the character of Lester in his unhappiness and striving for his dream. Either way both Lester and Rocky have been given the chance for Life, liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, which is something that all Americans claim they have the opportunity for, but only in the Land of Opportunities.
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