American Beauty is a satire on American society. The society is portrayed as being ideal and living in a utopia. This film deals with the flaws and hidden secrets that many families within these 'perfect' societies are hiding. Two families in the film portray to us their hidden secrets and ... flaws. The central theme in this film is the phoniness and to question our perception of beauty. Appearance versus reality is a key theme, which is backed up even more by a symbol, the American rose. This rose indicates outer beauty and perfection. It also is a symbol of deflowering, which is a loss of...

• Word Count: 557
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School