Jane's Mind Angela example essay topic

English Essay Mendes says' you zoom past the thing you think is beautiful" How does the film support this comment? This statement made by Medes is supported by the film in many ways. To start off with the title American Beauty gives the viewer the impression that the film is a happy film about your typical family living the 'so called' American dream. Beauty is represented in the form of the young teen Angela.

Angela is an attractive teen who is extremely ambitious in her dream to become a world famous model. She gives of the impression that she is an experienced sex kitten Jane believes everything Angela tells her about her non existent sex life and in a way looks up to Angela because in Jane's mind Angela is normal. The truth of the matter is that Angela is a virgin and is extremely insecure about herself. In a way her lying to those around her helps her to deal with her insecurities. Angels uses her friendship with Jane (a confused teen who thinks the world is against her) to make her feel better about herself. The opening scene of the movies is set in beautiful American suburb with families and their little white picket fences.

This opening scene contributes greatly to Mendes statement about beauty. The beauty and simplicity of their lives makes us think that this is your average happy family. The Burman's this family consists of three members. Lester, Jane and her mother. Lester's life is seen as one big battle for him. For his mind life is the same's t but a on a different day.

Lester feels caged in and trapped in his life. His daughter thinks of him as a gigantic looser and his wife has lost all respect for him. Lester is almost like a second child. He receives no respect from his daughter or his wife.

His job is a total dead end and he sees no future. Lester is basically waiting for his life to come to an end. Jane is your average teen. All teenagers go through phases when they feel that the world is against them and nothing seems to go right for them. Yet Jane's problems run deeper. She is insecure about her body, which clearly has no faults.

She saves up for a breast enlargement which does not even need. Her mother insults her indirectly and her father does not even acknowledge her existence. Angela is some one she can talk to about her problems and therefore she confides in Angela. Jane's mother deludes herself into thinking that there is nothing wrong in her life. She invests all her time into her career and hides away in her work. She is extremely negative towards her daughter and husband and has lost all respect for Lester.

Her motto is "To be successful one must project an image of success". She clearly is not happy in her marriage yet stays married to Lester purely for the sake of her career. She then later in the film has an affair with the so called "real-estate King" A family moves in next door. This family also has their own set of problems. Ricky the young boy receives no love from his father or mother. His father treats him like a navy recruit while his mother has been terribly traumatized that she no longer feels the need to speak.

Ricky expresses his feelings in his video camera and tries to find beauty in almost everything he comes across. He later develops an interest in Jane and starts to film her every opportunity he gets. Jane loves the attention as she never receives any fat home or from anybody else. They immediately are attracted to one another and their relationship develops. For Ricky this is the first time ever that he has experienced what he thinks is love. Ricky's father deludes himself into believing that his son is no longer taking drugs and that he earns hi money legitimately.

Later in the movie Ricky's father get the wrong end of the stick and thinks his son is gay with Lester while infact he was only his drug dealer. He then murders Lester in cold blood. The film is a true reflection that things are not always what they seem. What we think is the truth could in actual fact be the complete opposite. On the surface things seem perfectly fine and beautiful but we need to look closer and get a deeper understanding of what is the actual truth. The film supports Mendes's statement greatly because on the surface we see a normal happy family living the American dream but when we look closer and dig deeper into their lives and happenings we see the honest truth.

To understand fully we have to look closer.