You are here:

The American Beauty

Name: The American Beauty
Director: Robert Dhéry, Pierre Tchernia
Released: 1961
Duration: 104 min

Representation Score

0.4/10

Minimal

1961

Director

Robert Dhéry, Pierre Tchernia

Runtime

104 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film is a classic example of 1960s French comedy, emphasizing situational humor and social customs. It centers on consumerism and class tensions within a localized context. Since the narrative aims to uphold existing social norms, it does not intentionally explore diverse identities. Instead, it relies on traditional structures to create its comedic elements. Overall, the film reflects the cinematic norms of its era, favoring a homogeneous social environment over diverse representation.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The American Beauty have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film follows a traditional storyline without including any LGBTQ+ characters or exploring queer relationships. It does not address any non-cisgender identities or queer themes.

How does The American Beauty portray gender?

Limited

The story emphasizes the social hierarchy and traditional gender roles of the 1960s. While a widow takes charge of her estate, the overall narrative upholds conventional gender dynamics.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The American Beauty?

Minimal

The film focuses on a single cultural background, reflecting the homogeneity of mid-century French cinema. There is no significant racial diversity or engagement with multicultural communities.

How does The American Beauty represent religion and culture?

Limited

This comedy highlights an idealized version of French society, reinforcing social norms and status. It does not critique Western institutions or promote alternative viewpoints.

Does The American Beauty include disability representation?

Minimal

The film does not feature any prominent characters with visible or invisible disabilities. Characters are portrayed within the typical range of abilities for the time period.

Present on Screen

The film offers a clear insight into mid-century French social etiquette and class dynamics through humor.

Limited or Absent

The narrative lacks racial and ethnic diversity, staying within a single cultural context.
There is no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or neurodivergent characters.
The film upholds traditional gender roles without challenging them.

Official Synopsis

Marcel, a simple-minded factory worker, is tricked into buying a high-priced American convertable car by a widow determined not to let it fall into the hands of her late husband's secretary/secret lover. Once in pocession of the car, Marcel only encounters one bad luck episode after another with the excessive gasoline consumtion, his wife trying to sell it to make ammends meet, getting into traffic jams, accidently riding into a car wash with the top down, and more.

How are these scores produced? →