Comparing American Beauty and Truman show.

Character
similarities

Main male character, who lives for a change in there life. We see there life's change within the film. Both are protagonist.

Meryl and Carlyon are both old fashion house wives who are career obsess and both are materialistic.

The men both have similar jobs and are both the perfect the American dream jobs.

Both searching for something.

Differences

Truman is the only character, Lesters family in American Beauty.

Lester dies, truman gets to carry on with a new life.

Truman postive, Lester negative

Searching for something different.

Setting
similarities.

Both have American suburb hose bright coloures and picket fences. Flowers. Both classed as middle class Americans.

Work in depressive jobs.

Differences

Truman is made to fit American dream Lester is.

Truman has boundaries he cannot escape the studio set.

Controlled society by Christoph

Truman show opening and ending

OPENING
The first person we are introduced to is Christoph, the Creator of "the Truman show". This shows his importance to the film, he look artist, daring and eccentric. Then mini clips of Meryl and Marylon talking about the character within Truman life. Eventually we are shown Truman in his bathroom, through a TV screen to reinforce the idea that he is a TV star. When Truman is outside he house we see it as a perfect American small time place with picket fencing and big houses nicely lit.

Truman world is fake and is in style of a documentary, However Truman is real and he is a cheery character who is blurred in his own world. He represents and American Dream man who works, has a wife and has a nice house and possessions.

ENDING
We see Christoph as a god like figure again he say "I'm a creator..." with a long pause playing on the bible words. Christoph character has change as he is a father figure to Truman he wants to nurture for him in his make belief world. He has genuine affection for Truman. Truman also changes as he has grown up into a real person no more a character.

Christoph ask him to stay but Truman breaks out of the American Dream, which question the American Dream. Is it just freedom that American are searching for rather than Pursuit of Happiness etc.

American Beauty the opening and ending.

OPENING

The American Beauty opening begins with an ariel shot over the town, while zooming in to a certain street. Lester Burnham voice is placed over, like a narrator, to set the scene and the story. The American Beauty tune plays all throughout the opening.
The camera then brings us into the house and a close up of Lester in bed, this communicates that he is the main character. Lester Burnham say "ill be dead this time next year" this is telling the story and we know the ending, so now we will be watching it to see how and why he dies.

A close up of the red rose shows the importance and symbolism of it. The rose shows perfection and reflects the title as a red rose is called "American Beauty". He introduces other characters with a voice over and imagery. His wife, Carolyn Burnham, is shown cutting the roses in her garden. The voice over says that her shoes and gardening gloves are no mistake that they don't match, this sets up her character as we understand that she is in control and likes everything to perfection. Then introduced to the gay neighbours and Carolyn talks to them, while in the background we see Lester in the background peering through the window. Each elements of the opening are foreshadowing events that follow, for example the roses are throughout the film and are there when he dies. Also the gay characters which are bought into later, and Lester peering through reflects Ricki actions. Jane, Lester daughter, is introduced again through Lester's voice over, explaining that she is a typical teenager.

When we see them all walk out of the house we can see the big house, the tidy garden that tells the viewer that they are rich and a family. The house is symmetrical with fresh white walls, with a white picket fences which shows that they own the land and there property. When they are in the car Lester sits in the back show that he has no power within the family. On the surface everything seems to live up the The American Dream, nice house, Mum, Dad and daughter. However the voice over dosent agree with the "perfect" family life. All this scene is lightly lite, like a sunny day.

"Its never to late to get it back" this indicates that the introduction is now finished and the film will now begin. We will be following Lester in his fight "to get it back".

ENDING

In comparsionto the beginning the the lighting is very dark lit and light is just on characters face etc. When we see Lester and and Angela in the kitchen agian the lightening is dark and filmed in mid-shots. Angela asked Lester "how are you" where Lester replies " im great". This completes the beginning and we can see the journey he has been through the film and he has achieved his goal. He reminises while looking at a old photo of his family and sit down in front of the roses. This shot is like dominos where it is the gun /Lester Burnham /photo of family /the roses, shown throughout the film/ the camera then pans to white tiles , once the gun shots blood then goes on the wall. Although the audience know that he is going to die it is still a shock and sad has we know he has reached his goals and just when he is enjoying life he dies.

Like the beginning of the film there a voice over we return back to the Lester Voice. While we see where every character was when the shot went off. In between is a montage of old memories Lester is having. He realises that his life was good when they didnt have everything and how luckly he was to have a wife and Jane. The last scene, the ariel shot, he says "someday you will" then a black screen. Personally i think its a bit scary and depressing but it makes you reflect on the film and question your own life.

Truman show.

The Truman show and the American dream.
To me it represents the American dream by having Truman in this perfect aspirational life, where he has a wife a good job etc. However the ending shows that it dosent bring happiness and is not always "perfect" as truman breaks out of the life of the American Dream.



Truman Burbank



Chosen out of five unwanted pregnancies and the first child to be legally adopted by a corporotaion. He is unaware that his daily life is broadcast 24-hours-a-day around the world. He has a job in insurance business and a lovely wife, but eventually notices the environment is not what it seems to be.. His parents, his bestfriend Marlon (Noah Emmerich), and even his wife Meryl (Laura Linney) are all actors.





Meryl Burbank

Truman's "wife", who holds a profession as a nurse at the local hospital. Since the show relies on product replacement for revenue, Meryl regularly shows off various items she has recently "purchased," one of the many occurrences that makes Truman curious about his life. Her role is essentially to act the part of Truman's wife and ultimately to have a child by him, despite her reluctance to accomplish either. Linney explained that, "she was a child actress who never made it, and now she's really ambitious. Mostly she's into negotiating her contract. Every time she sleeps with Truman she gets an extra $10,000".Linney heavily studied from the 1950s to develop her character's poses.

Marlon

Truman's best friend since early childhood. Marlon is a vending machine operator for the company Goodies, who promises Truman he would never lie to him, despite the latest events in Truman's life. Emmerich has said "My character is in a lot of pain. He feels really guilty about deceiving Truman. He's had a serious drug addiction for many years. Been in and out of rehab"

Truman Mother and father

Truman's mother. Christof orders that she attempt to convince Truman to have children.

An actor who portrays Truman's father. When Truman was a boy, his character on the show was killed off to instill a fear of water in his son that would prevent Truman from leaving the set; however, he sneaks back into the show when Truman is an adult, whereupon the writers are forced to write a plot in which Kirk had not drowned, but had suffered from amnesia.