American Beauty (1999) Sam Mendes
Discussion Questions, Resources, and Viewing Guide
JC Clapp, North Seattle College
Carefully describe the opening scene. How does this set up the film? How does the voice-over
technique function? What does it add? What do we learn in particular at the beginning, and what
affect does this have? Lester Burnham reveals that he will die in the first few lines of the film.
What purpose might this revelation serve? How does this knowledge affect the way a viewer
might experience the film?
2. Consider how the fantasy sequences (in the gym, by the refrigerator, and in Lester’s dream)
presented? What role do the fantasy sequences have in our understanding of Lester and themes
of the film? How are these fantasy scenes integrated with those before/after them?
3. How does the narrative of the film unfold? More specifically, how do the individual episodes
relate to each other? Whose point(s) of view do we adopt in the film? What narrative or film
elements force us to take certain points of view? With whom are we supposed to sympathize in
the film, if anyone?
4. Look at how the Burnhams' dinner scenes are shot. Look at the framing, color, editing, music,
pace.
5. What colors (or motifs) do you see repeated over and over in this film and what is the
significance?
6. How does Lester's final day unfold? Go through and look carefully at how the final scenes of the
film go together. How long are the shots? What is the pacing like?
7. Discuss Lester's final voice-over narration. With what thoughts does he conclude the film? How
does the concluding voice-over differ from the opening voice-over? How is it similar?
8. Examine the scenes of the film which the audience sees through the lens of Ricky's camera. Who
or what is videotaped and how? In what different ways do we see those videotapes? Who else
watches them? What is the significance of Ricky's video hobby/obsession in general? How is the
story that Ricky's films tell similar to or different from the film as a whole? What might Ricky's
films reveal that couldn't have been revealed in any other way?
9. What does this film say about sex? About sexual orientation? Look at all of the ways sex is referred
to in this film. What sense can you make of it?
10. The film's name references the type of rose seen many times throughout the film - American
Beauty roses. What other ideas and images might this title be referring to? Pick an idea or image
of "American beauty" that you consider relevant and explain how it relates to the film. Be sure to
cite specific evidence from the text to support your claim. Why might the writer and/or director
have chosen roses as one of the film's primary symbols? What ideas do roses convey that are
important to the overall meaning of the film?
11. This film puts into question what a “normal” family is. What does it tell us about what’s normal
and what’s dysfunctional? Are any characters in the film portrayed as mentally unstable? Which
ones and how are they portrayed?
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