In 1999 “American Beauty,” directed by Sam Mendes was released. A person who looks happy may not be happy. Characters in this movie display happiness but in reality are miserable. The characters that appear happy are indeed the unhappiest.

            Lester is for the most doesn’t act happy just for others to believe that he is happy. Jane and Lester have a distorted relationship. Attending his daughter’s performance that he would rather not had he sees Angela. After their dance routine has entered along with the game Lester acts like an involved father in front of Angela. However, this is only because of his interest in Angela that he acts caring towards Jane. While at Carolyn’s business party he does pretend to be happy. Once Lester and his wife Carolyn enter the event they go and say hello to Buddy. Lester grabs his wife and gives her en extended kiss. He then tells Buddy “we have a very healthy relationship” (Mendes). Lester doesn’t have a healthy relationship with his wife. They constantly fight and have grown apart from one another.

            Carolyn believes that to be successful a person must look successful. “External referenting is defining yourself by the ways others evaluate you; being preoccupied with what others think will over power what is important to you” (Hawkins 25).At the beginning of the movie she is shown cutting flowers in the front yard smiling and complementing the neighbors. She is consumed with looking happy. Behind closed doors she is controlling and cruel to her family. She asks Jane “honey, are you trying to look unattractive” (Mendes)? She criticizes her own daughter based on her looks. Lester attempts to come onto Carolyn; while he does this he has in his hand a beer. Carolyn in this moment doesn’t appreciate the affection that Lester is trying to show her but tells him he is going to spill his beer on the expensive couch. 

            Angela is pretty. She knows that she is pretty and uses that to belittle others and make herself feel better about herself. Ricky eventually tells Angela that she is “boring and totally ordinary” (Mendes). Even though Angela is physically attractive and presents herself as confident she isn’t. She uses other to make herself feel good about herself. “Insecure, we look to others to validate our self- worth” (Hawkins 35).  She breaks down to Lester and this shows that she is not as strong and the person that she shows herself to be while around people.