^^ Link to opening scenes of American Beauty.
The Burnham Family:
They are creatures Of Habit- they have the same routine, same music, it all seems very repetative. The father and daughter used to be close, what happened? We see family photos which show the Burnham's in happier times, at the dinner table, Lester is slumped over which makes his wife Carolyn, look down on him and seem bigger as she is sitting in a normal posture. The motif of the film, (the red roses) are used again in this scene, they are in the middle of the table infront of the daugher, they stand out in the dining room as it is neutral, the use of red, white and blue are also again noticable. The music being played during this scene is 'Bali Hai' from South Pacific, this could indicate that Carolyn is stuck in the past, maybe old fashioned? We hear the daughter ask why they have to listen to the music every time they have dinner, she is clearly fed up and bored of the way that they live.
- The music adds emphasis to the scenes, creates a very awkward and uncomfortable atmosphere, also indicates the dullness and repetative routine that they all have.
- The view of the dining room is a long shot/establishing shot- The camera slowly zooms in, it makes the audience feel like they're spying on the family.
- Lester and Carolyn are on opposite ends of the table, the daughter is in the middle
- Their daughter is in the light, along with the motif, parents are in the shadows (like Lester in the beginning of the film)
- Stalker- very freaky, frustrated, angry, looks disturbed.
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