American Beauty Film Analysis
The three terms/concepts are: casting, ensemble acting, and method acting. The cast of American Beauty won a Screen Actors Guild Award for an Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Theatrical Motion Picture in the year 2000, the ensemble acting includes the acting techniques of working together in the film shots, and the casting of the group of actors for the characters’ roles includes: Annette Bening, Wes Bentley, Thora Birch, Chris Cooper, Peter Gallagher, Allison Janney, Kevin Spacey, and Mena Suvari. In fact, some of the actors cast in the roles are not method actors per se, and their acting articulates some of the Stanislavski's System techniques which include the establishment of their own creative personal methods. Amidst the struggle of this dysfunctional family’s pursuit of happiness, their perception of the American dream and beauty in life deceitfully outplays the reality within the family life of Lester Burnham, who is one the lead cast characters portrayed by Kevin Spacey, in the film American Beauty. Lester reassesses control over his life and success to find happiness during his probable mid-life crisis. For example, in
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the scene where he tells his wife, Carolyn, at the dinner table that he has quit his job, made $60,000, and to pass the asparagus, he rebels against the lack-of-control within his own life. The cast of characters in the film has some similarities to Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman in which there is a reference in the scene, by Annette Benning, who plays Carolyn Burnham. Carolyn states in her line in the front yard scene, that the Lohman’s, who lives next door, moves out after she cut their tree roots from her property. In fact, American Beauty casting director, Debra Zane won an award for Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama, from the Casting Society of America.
The casting ensemble works brilliantly together to achieve the portrayal of characters in search of lost self-identities and the pursuit of happiness seem to have lost previous years ago, while they put up a front to the neighbors of their quiet suburban neighborhood. The actor’s character roles are similar in this ensemble cast since all of the main characters’ roles are as equally important in the film American Beauty.
Consequently, Lester’s murder by the hands of his neighbor, Col.
Frank Fitts (played by Chris Cooper) ends his painful and unattainable journey for the pursuit happiness which is also expressed through Lester’s afterlife narration voiceover. Director Sam Mendes, cultivates American Beauty, and nourishes the film through his variety his selection of multi-talented cast. He establishes a dynamic ensemble casting that consists of several Oscar-winning actors who flourish in their creation of their own individual styles of method acting. In fact, Mendes and the cast of American Beauty cultivate 120 wins and 82 award nominations of numerous category assortments. Likewise, screenwriter, Alan Ball, successfully blooms and further grows his writing successes that have roots with the drama film, American Beauty and digs Six Feet
Under.
the scene where he tells his wife, Carolyn, at the dinner table that he has quit his job, made $60,000, and to pass the asparagus, he rebels against the lack-of-control within his own life. The cast of characters in the film has some similarities to Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman in which there is a reference in the scene, by Annette Benning, who plays Carolyn Burnham. Carolyn states in her line in the front yard scene, that the Lohman’s, who lives next door, moves out after she cut their tree roots from her property. In fact, American Beauty casting director, Debra Zane won an award for Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama, from the Casting Society of America.
The casting ensemble works brilliantly together to achieve the portrayal of characters in search of lost self-identities and the pursuit of happiness seem to have lost previous years ago, while they put up a front to the neighbors of their quiet suburban neighborhood. The actor’s character roles are similar in this ensemble cast since all of the main characters’ roles are as equally important in the film American Beauty.
Consequently, Lester’s murder by the hands of his neighbor, Col.
Frank Fitts (played by Chris Cooper) ends his painful and unattainable journey for the pursuit happiness which is also expressed through Lester’s afterlife narration voiceover. Director Sam Mendes, cultivates American Beauty, and nourishes the film through his variety his selection of multi-talented cast. He establishes a dynamic ensemble casting that consists of several Oscar-winning actors who flourish in their creation of their own individual styles of method acting. In fact, Mendes and the cast of American Beauty cultivate 120 wins and 82 award nominations of numerous category assortments. Likewise, screenwriter, Alan Ball, successfully blooms and further grows his writing successes that have roots with the drama film, American Beauty and digs Six Feet
Under.