American Beauty: the nuclear family in film

Today we are living in a time of increasing tolerance when it comes to alternative family forms, those other than the nuclear family. The nuclear family, made up of two biological parents and their children, is associated with the stability of the 1950s, when it was most prevalent. Because it is associated with stability it is assumed to be a superior family form, from which all others are deviant. The movie, American Beauty, challenges this …

…em all. The emotional stress put on the characters by their roles in their families lead to emotional breakdowns, murder, and adultery. The frustration in their own lives prevents them from cultivation relationships with each other. Therefore, society is wrong in assuming this stifling family form is superior to alternatives that allow members to come together with trust and mutual cooperation, rather than obligatory roles that lead them down the path to their own demise.