Lester's Body Language example essay topic

611 words
Opening sequence: the film starts with a helicopter shot looking over "white suburbia" a nice neighborhood and in a nice suburb. Then we move to a shot of Lester played by Kevin Spacey in the shower masturbating describing this as the most exciting part of his day. This then highlights Lester's sexual frustration a married father who hasn't had sex in a while with his wife Carolyn played by Annette Bening who appears to be more concerned about her house as well as her appearance of marital bliss. "In order to be successful one must project a image of Success" a statement to which we later we learn is the basis to Carolyn's existence. Placing her value on status and could be best described as a "bloodless, money grubbing freak" who in her mission to achieve her so called success has shielded herself from intimacy.

Lester's body language suggests that life has become a drag for him. Its almost as if it's a mission for him to get up in the morning as he later says "Both my wife and daughter think im a gigantic loser and there right I have lost something and I didn't always feel this sedated. This is supported by the high and low angle shots between Lester and Carolyn when Carolyn appears to be in control and Lester not. High angle shots to suggest that Carolyn is in control of this relationship and low angle at Lester suggesting he is far less superior to her. "Our marriage is just a show- a commercial for how normal we are, when we are when we are anything but. A thought expressed by Lester We also then see Lester slumped in the back of the car suggesting that his day is going to be a drag his body language enforces the fact that he feels sedated and that he has lost his lease on life.

He hates his job he's sexual frustrated and he marriage could be described as empty this is all supported and expressed through his body language and his thoughts of and opinions viewed through his own confessions and those used by the camera. As we all have come to realize and will all later experience most teenagers view their parents as strange but for Jane played by Thora Birch this is much a state of reality as it is state of mind. Her father Lester is going through a mid life crises at 42 and what can be best described as being apathetic to everything. Jane defiantly views her father as this gigantic loser as expressed by Lester himself. She doesn't have time for him and also doesn't really speak very highly of him Jane is confused and also seems to be displeased by her physical appearance she is saving up for breast augmentation surgery which suggests feelings in insecurity. Jane who I also believe might feel the same way as her dad as if she doesn't really matter to anyone and she is more the girl that nobody seems to show an interest The dining room sequence the lighting used in this scene is used to place great emphasis on the bunch of American Beauty roses placed on the centre of the table the lighting around the Burnham family appearing morbid and dim in comparison.

We also see how Carolyn describes her day and how she hopes to achieve future success. With Lester also once again appearing disinterested and "numb" from the happenings around him with the dreary and rather monotonous music played in the background.