What did you make of the murder in the end? Why did the film end that way?
I'd like to know the meaning of the death.
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American Beauty Study Guide & Essays
American Beauty is a DreamWorks production that was shot in 1999 and released in the United States in 2000. It was the big-screen debut for director Sam Mendes, as well as for writer Alan Ball. The film was produced by Alan Ball, Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks, and Stan Wlodkowski. It met with tremendous…
American Beauty study guide contains a biography of Sam Mendes, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
- American Beauty Summary
- About American Beauty
- Character List
- Glossary of Terms
- Major Themes
- Summary and Analysis of Scene 1 ("The High Point of My Day") through Scene 4 ("The Gym")
- Summary and Analysis of Scene 5 ("Spectacular") through Scene 8 ("My Personal Hero")
- Summary and Analysis of Scene 9 ("I Love Root Beer") through Scene 12 ("I Want to Look Good Naked")
View all of the Study Guide...
Why did Carolyn carry a gun into the house? If she is intending to kill her husband why do think she intended to do so? Why did Colonel Fitts kill Lester? Is there any beauty in what Carolyn and Fitts intended to do? Did Lester deserve to die? Is there any beauty in his death?
Lester Burnham’s antagonists are the two figures who seek to end his life at the climax----Carolyn and Colonel Fitts, but they also represent the much broader “forces of antagonism”. Try to analyze one of them.
What’s real beauty for Lester Burnham? How did he feel when he didn’t make love to Angela and was finally killed?
