You don't want to learn to think a certain way unconsciously. These same questions can be asked and answered when it comes to the movie American Beauty. What is the message of the film? The film's main message regarding Lester is that middle age is boring and not fun. Being young and free was described as much cooler than being old and tied down. Are these stereotypes against a certain group? Obviously, in this film, middle-aged men are one of the targeted groups. We, the viewer, can control what to capture through media by always asking