Conventional Vs. True Beauty Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Conventional Vs. True Beauty - Movie Review Example This means the thin model wearing the clothes and makeup that the gatekeepers of fashion say are beautiful, displayed on TV and in other forms of mass media. On the other hand, there is the idea of true beauty, which reflects the existence of an absolute set of standards for what is beautiful, separate from what the masses say is beautiful, and separate from the social conventions of any given period in history. True beauty may or may not jive with what the conventional notions of beauty are at any given time, but one understands that there are eternal qualities associated with true beauty, that stand the test of time. This true beauty requires a different kind of vision for sure than what people ordinarily possess in the movie 'American Beauty'. The implicit message in the movie is that the perception of true beauty requires a certain kind of intelligence, and a certain kind of knowing and vision that is also more elevated and removed from the conventional. This paper asserts that a key take from the movie is that , one can say that far from refining and elevating aesthetic sensibilities, conforming with the rules of society deadens rather than sharpens that vision that allows for the glimpse of true beauty. In the end, with Lester dead, and all of the pressures of family and society removed, with Lester free, he is able to find out what beauty really is (IMDb.com; Smith). II. Discussion From Lester's life and the life of his family we see how the film portrays conformism as a dead end that leads to the deadening of life and the sapping away of that vital force that forges relationships and bonds people. Conformism saps away joy and the fun out of life. This seems to be the initial message of the movie. In it too is lost the conception of beauty that makes life at least bearable and worth living. Ricky, young and full of life, seems to be blessed in this regard, that not having to conform, he is free to pursue joy, and to see beauty. On the other end of the sp ectrum are repressed lives. Not everything is as it seems. Angela, the young girl who is outwardly beautiful, in herself is inwardly insecure and unsure of how to go about life. She herself lacks a certain vision and certainty, not having experienced any kind of direct vision of joy or beauty that would have pacified her and put her on a more solid footing. This is evident in the way she ended up wanting to have sex with Lester, even though in the end too it became clear that she did not know what she wanted. She was just a confused kid. Carolyn too had drifted from a more carefree and fun life into the life of a career woman obsessed with mantras of material success, all the while missing out on the happiness and beauty that could be had by simply being in the moment and enjoying the time with her daughter Jane. Jane in her way was also suffering from this joy-deprived and loved-deprived environment, and who wouldn't? Her parents were living dysfunctional lives devoid of the beauty and the joy that comes from being close to something more vital. Having lost that, and themselves, they had no joy nor vision of beauty to impart on their poor daughter. In Col. Fitts' lonely life too, there is that same missing element, and where people are less true to themselves, and are bound by conventions that blind them from a truer and more fulfilling life, what happens is that the people around them suffer. Col. Fitts' wife had to bear the emotional and psychological trauma

MENTORING PROJECT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MENTORING PROJECT - Essay Example The beneficiary allows the European Commission, the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency and the National Agencies to make available and use all data provided in this report for the purposes of managing and evaluating the Youth in Action Programme. All personal data collected for the purpose of this project shall be processed in accordance with Regulation (EC) NÂ ° 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies. Data subjects may, on written request, gain access to their personal data. They should address any questions regarding the processing of their personal data to the Agency (National or Executive) in charge of the management of their application. For projects selected at national level, data subjects may lodge a complaint against the processing of their personal data with the authority in charge of data protection in their country at an y time. For projects selected at European level, complaints may be lodged with the European Data Protection Supervisor at any time. The beneficiary declares having informed the promoters and participants in its project on the provisions and practices regarding data protection applied under the Youth in Action programme Beneficiary Name, stamp (if available): Legal representative Name in capital letters: Place: Signature: Date: Part I. Project identification and summary (cont.) Type of Activity Please tick the box corresponding to the project for which you are submitting this final report. This project was of the following type: (tick one box only)  National Youth Meeting  Trans-national Youth Seminar Please specify the main target (only for National Youth Meeting):  debating relevant topics to the Structured Dialogue or EU policies  preparing the official youth Presidency event  organising activities linked to the European Youth Week  enhancing dialogue and cooperation between formal and non-formal education areas Relevance to the general objectives of the Youth in Action Programme Please tick relevant box(es). The project:  promotes young people’s active citizenship in general and their European citizenship in particular;  develops solidarity and promotes tolerance among young people, in particular in order to foster social cohesion in the European Union;  fosters mutual understanding between young people in different countries;  contributes to developing the quality of support systems for youth activities and the capabilities of civil society organisations in the youth field;  promotes European cooperation in the youth field. Relevance to the priorities of the Youth in Action Programme Please tick relevant box(es). Permanent thematic priorities  European Citizenship  Participation of young