Is American Beauty anti-military or pro-homosexuality?

I'm not sure which. My dad thinks that just because Frank was in the marines, it's an anti-military movie. What do you think? Feel free to leave other interpretations as well.

I dunno. Sam Mendes clearly doesn't think a lot of suburbia or (presumably) the kinds of views that populate most of it. I tend to think that the film's outlook is pretty liberal as a result, so why not both?

You can never be completely sure when a closeted marine is a political statement, and when he's just a character. I tend to think such things are usually deliberate political statements on some level, though, given the amount of time and thought that often goes into such things.

I think it's a comedy, and not trying to make some sort of political or social point. It isn't saying that all Marines are secretly gay, or that all suburban dads are secretly pedophiles, or any other sort of criticism that's been leveled at the film. People just seem to like to get offended and self righteous.

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i think its neither.

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Neither. I think that the film was more concerned with showing us that once you dig below the surface that these people were not what they appeared to be to themselves or to us. The characters were living in the roles that they thought they needed to live but not the truth of who they were. It is a statement on suburban life and how wonderful things look on the outside with the manicured lawns and the rose gardens and how ugly things can be on the inside. I get nothing anti-military or pro-homosexuality from it.

It's pro-beauty.

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Ha ha! Splendid!

Good points. Some people, when reading reviews, got the feeling that Frank was gay, and shot Lester because of that. I guess it fits in to the "Look Closer" thing. I just thought Lester was shot because Frank was pissed because he thought his son was gay.

i thought he shot him because

Yeah, I didn't get that when I first watched it, but it's a good theory.

To me American Beauty was more a critique (not trying to sound pretentious at all) of the modern family and suburbia. The idea that you don't know what really goes on when your neighbours close the curtains

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Neither. It was anti-shallow. Shallow thinking, and shallow living.

Hehehe. That's a pretty interesting way to verify that. I'd say the fact that he looked terrified and was trembling points to it being a genuine attempt, personally.

Clearly, the bacon that Mrs. Fitts was making for breakfast one particular morning during American Beauty represented her husband's impotent penis, for both it and the bacon are soggy, limp pieces of meat. Her husband's penis stays impotent for her because she is a woman and he is gay. This is on her mind. This is why she's unhappy.

Then Ricky appears, wanting none of it.



"I don't eat bacon... remember?"

Ricky is confirming his heterosexuality. Mrs. Fitts forgot that he doesn't eat bacon because her own issues with limp pieces of meat are clouding her mind and messing up her judgements.



There is a doorbell. Everyone panics.



The gay couple introduces themselves with a lovely BASKET, which contains pasta - long penne from the looks of it (you can see it in the picture). Pasta, before it's cooked, is hard. Scott Bakula informs us that "you drop it in the water (water represents sex) and it's done."

Clearly, Frank Fitts is gay -- gay sex is what he needs to relax and chill. Everyone in this movie is looking for something to help them relax and chill and take it easy -- whether it's through gay sex, straight sex, marijuana, fast food, masturbating in the shower, gardening, videotaping, etc. Finding peace in your life is the way to see all the beauty in the world, but even if you never succeed at finding it, somebody else will come along and see beauty in your struggle.

I would say the film is both pro-homosexuality and anti-military, because the military is aggressive and stressful and is not a step towards relaxation. But I don't think American Beauty adopts a severe attitude about either of these choices -- although I'm sure the creative team behind it probably endorse both of these things.

I think his dad was just an uptight control freak.

so, Sexy Celebrity, is this something you just whipped up or did you have these narratives down pat since the first time you saw AB?