Subject: Re: American Beauty
From: Mattis Fishman (mattis@argoscomp.com)
Date: Mon Feb 21 2000 - 13:13:41 EST
>That's just it, tho...it's not the things you hated in the film that I loved
>about it. For me, the movie centered around Lester's growth and the issues
>he overcame in order to grow into the person he became. These issues lay
>right at the heart of his family's dysfunction -- and the dysfunction of the
>family next door, for that matter.
>
>Will go into more detail later...
>
>Jim
Jim,
I have no doubt that you will go into detail, and I appreciate, as always,
the response.
I am glad that you found a positive meaning in the film, and I do not think
that I would have to disagree that given the setting, there is room for
growth and positive change. But I will repeat that it is the setting itself
I object to, the depiction of these patently villainous straw men. And,
of course, the zest with which so many young people want to believe that
this is the way is really is.
Do I have to convince anyone that the love that a parent feels for his
child is not just to place a Cornell sticker on the back of his car (though
I may have wondered this myself at the time my father stuck it on) or
to have his child as his surrogate? That life, work, love and all the
other four letter words turn out to be infinitely more complicated
than we were led to believe by Father Knows Best or the Simpsons?
Do I have to quote Leonard Cohen, Crosby Stills Nash and Young or
Neutral Milk Hotel for it to be accepted as Truth?
happy President's Day,
Mattis
-
* Unsubscribing? Mail majordomo@roughdraft.org with the message
* UNSUBSCRIBE BANANAFISH
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b25 : Thu Mar 02 2000 - 19:30:21 EST