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Surface Division in American Beauty



Eve Robitshek
Film Aesthetics
29 October 2018

Surface Division in American Beauty

     The film American Beauty is set in a suburban neighborhood, where sales worker Lester Burnham becomes disillusioned with life and strives for his life. As he begins to experience new things, his wife and daughter also endure changes that affect their family greatly. In the film, windows are the most prevalent way that this is shown. Through the window panes, it is visible to view both sides of the picture, but the glass physically and emotionally separates them. American Beauty deals with themes of detachment, and the use of windows furthers this notion.

      Right off the bat, the theme of separation occurs. It opens on Lester Burnham, played by Kevin Spacey, a lonely man stuck in a life he does not want to live. The film begins with Lester narrating his horrible life. The scene then cuts to Lester, watching his wife interact with his neighbors outside. In the yard, Carolyn cuts roses and says good morning to her friendly neighbors. Carolyn is obviously putting on a show for them, a facade to show them that she is “normal.” Lester knows this and watches in disgust as she does so. The window is a tool to create a divide between them. The window also makes Lester’s character trapped inside, like the situation in his life.

     In another scene, the Burnham family just ate dinner and there was an extremely heated discussion. Jane, Lester’s daughter, leaves the dining room in a huff and eventually, Lester leaves as well to join her. They lean against the counter, a pane of windows behind them. Then all of a sudden a VCR shot is shown filming them from the other side. In this scene, the windows act as a barrier or prison. Both Jane and Lester are trapped in their worlds, and the window acts as a way to visualize this. The window also acts as a barrier between Ricky and Jane. He films her through the window separating the two of them.


     After the dinner scene, Jane’s mother walks into her room and tells her that she that she is, “Now old enough to learn the most important lesson in life: you cannot count on anyone except yourself.” Jane replies with saying she does not want to have a Kodak moment. Carolyn slaps her and leaves in a huff. This leads to Jane turning around to see Ricky in the window. She then begins to take her shirt slowly as he films her. There are windows that separate the two of them, except this time the windows bring them together. The fact that they are both in their own terrible worlds makes them unique yet similar, and the windows provide this beacon into their relationship.



     In Sam Mendes’ film American Beauty, he uses windows as a way to divide the surface to either create separation or bring characters together. Through the scenes with Lester, his family, or his daughter, the windows display their different emotions. Surface division can be used in many different ways, and Mendes uses windows to achieve his vision.


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