American Beauty: a Psychologic

He sees images of his happy, laughing wife Carolyn, a vision of youth. He sees a young Janie, and finally, pictures himself as a young man, full of possibilities and wonderment. It appears to the viewer that the root of Lester's unhappiness is the typical cause of the common mid life crisis, the answer to the question, "Where do I go from here?" (Anderson 1). Lester remembers not the monotonous day to day happenings toward the end of his life when he felt no zest for life, but instead the passion he held long before his forties, when he felt his youth and vigor at its most. This insight into Lester's innermost thoughts allows the viewer to realize that Lester's actions toward the end of his life were of no importance to him. Lester acts with the same spontaneity and recklessness typical of men entering a midlife transition. This type of behavior begin at a "culminating event", an event that serves as a marker for the end of young adulthood. This event may "be very obvious such as a promotion or being fired from a job. It is a milestone that allows one to see that a life dream is not going to be realized, and it provided an estimate for future success or fulfillment"(Anderson 5). At the beginning of the film, Lester is unhappy with his life but is hesitant to act to change it. However, after he realizes that he may be fired from his job after years of meekly compromising himself to keep his job, he submits a letter guaranteed to get him fired, and then ruthlessly blackmails his employer for a year's severance pay. Lester then proceeds to accept a job at a fast food window. He shows a clear recklessness and disdain for his, as well as his family's future financial security when he accepts this obviously poor paying position. Lesters acceptance of his own mortality and physical condition is another sign of his progression through a mid life crisis. As Anderson states, "people going through this transition not only face a crisis of mortality; they face a crisis of growing old vigorous exercise and a sudden desire for youth soon follow" (4).