Films are influential in our contemporary society, as they can present certain values that reflect society. Films either re-enforce particular values that we as viewers believe are important in society; or they challenge the values that we believe in. American Beauty is set in an upper middleclass white neighbourhood. The film revolves around Lester Burnham, a man who is struggling in an emotionally vacuumed marriage and living a predictable and tedious life. American Beauty both reinforces and questions particular social values that include success, family life, and being true to yourself. It is the questioning of these values, the ways of thinking and the longing of wanting something different in life that American Beauty presents to its audience.
In today's society, success is measured by wealth, a big house, and a happy family. In the film American Beauty, characters judge their personal "worth and value" based on how they are seen by others. As success' in terms of a big......
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Approximate Word Count: 1234
Approximate Pages: 5 (260 words per double-spaced page) |