The Beautiful Bag

Most people consider watching movies an enjoyable pastime. Some of us prefer action flicks where our butts are at the edge of our seats, wondering what mister macho man is going to get himself into next. Others enjoy horror films where, with our hands covering our mouths (or eyes), we apprehensively watch what happens to the victims of the plot and predict who is going to lose their head next. Comedies, whether they be romantic comedies or simply the kind that are hilarious to watch and bring out our most embarrassing chuckles, cannot be left out of this broad list.

 

Then there are dramas. Dramatic movies often have the same formula as some action, horror, or even comedic movies. The difference I think between a dramatic movie and a horror movie is, however, dramas like to send us a message. Not a public service message about the dangers of drinking and driving or spousal abuse, although that might sometimes be the case, but a message that goes deeper than a simple warning of danger. A message that you may have to draw your own conclusion about or apply that meaning in a way that is relevant to your life.

 

There are many movies in the drama genre that I can think of that portray some inner meaning. The movie that stands out the most to me is American Beauty. American Beauty won five Academy Awards, including best picture, for a reason. It is not only thought-provoking and incredibly deep, but it also tells a tale of an average man, Lester Burnham (played by Kevin Spacey) and his realization of the meaning of life.

 

From the beginning of the movie we know that Lester is not happy, in fact one of the first things he says is “in a year I will be dead, in a way, I’m dead already.” Everyone has their own interpretation of this movie but to me the entire movie is about self-discovery that includes not only Lester’s self-discovery, but also that of his daughter Jane, Jane’s boyfriend, his wife and  possibly even Jane’s “friend,” who Lester lusts over in the movie.

 

There are entirely too many amazing and thought-provoking quotes to list, but a few huge life quotes stand out in my mind. The first comes from Lester who points out his wife’s materialistic tendencies. Lester asks his wife when did she become so joy-less. Since during this part of the movie, Lester has started reclaiming his “joy,” his love of life, he casually brings up the fact that his wife lacks the essence of joy and then tries to seduce her by referring to old times when they were both happy. Suddenly his wife realizes he is about to spill his beer on her $4,000 couch and tells him to stop. Lester realizes that her couch is more important to her than him and says, “This isn't life, it's just stuff, and it's become more important to you than living. Well, honey, that's just nuts.”