Though, Thora Birch retired somewhat unnoticeably in recent years, her role in one of the most popular movies of 1999, American Beauty, is unforgettable. In the film, Birch made Jane Burnham, an angry and rebellious teenage girl in manoeuvre of Kevin Spacey, who portrayed Lester Burnham. Although American Beauty is a cinematic piece that nakedly portrays suburban disillusionment and depravity, Birch’s depiction of Jane was equally shocking and provocative — specifically, the lesbian scene.
A Reckless Role for a Young Lady
Talented Thora Birch was just sixteen years of age when she was chosen to portray a girl in the genuinely disturbing American Beauty – a movie that sweeps the Academy Awards and tells the director’s powerfully perverted story of some middle-Americans. It was quite demanding, for instance, to portray Jane Burnham. She was a teenager trying to cope with the results of her parents’ divorce and with social pressure on women to be beautiful.
Another very much discussed feature of the movie was the scene in which the main actress, Birchin felt naked. As she was a teenage girl, the scene provoked a lot of controversy when it was shot, as well as after the movie hit the theatres. Many of the parents were also actively engaged in image production since they had to sign consent forms which allowed their daughters take such scenes. For Birch the scene was crucial to the development of her character, as she says, ‘It is important to know that we are sexual beings and represent sex in whatever role we play.’
It is evidenced by both of Birch’s parents, who are themselves no strangers to highly questionable scenes. Jack Birch, her father, was usually around during her film projects, and this was the case as well. In several of her interviews, Thora said that, both her parents read it and had the impression that the nudity was necessary as Jane’s exposure of her character for the connection with Ricky (Wes Bentley).
This parental was useful in helping to make a decision that would could have been even more fraught. Even Birch, the director that cut the scene in question, said that she got the importance of the scene, which was not to gross out the audience but to show Jane, as a confused, yet strong character, at her most vulnerable. Birch said in an interview with The Guardian, she had psychologically and artists prepare for it.
Understanding the Set
It was important for many reasons, but fans were especially concerned with Thora Birch’s topless scene in American Beauty. Of course, this was all far removed from outright nudity for the sake of a shocking image. It was a BURNING scene because it portrayed Jane Burnham at the low moments in her life when she struggled to set worth on herself, as well as in the new emerging romantic relationship with Ricky. Through a smog of vulgar media representation of young women, the scene was not vulgar but obviously genuine.
While this is less about performance and more about the way Hollywood treats young performers when they cast them in grown up roles. Birch has also mentioned how much of a challenge it was for her to separate her own attitudes to the role and to the character or, in fact, to have any of that in mind when she was playing the part. “Creatively, I was solid. Birch said that she had realised the relevance and importance of that scene during shooting but conceded that the decision was tough.
The Impact of Birch’s tradition on the American Beauty
Beauty eventually earned five Oscars adding to the history of films and Thorn Birch played an important role for this success. However, the position that she has taken in the film remains to be highly positive but which has an element of negativity as well. The movie made her get some doors opened for her but at the same time, it was also fuelled the nudity scene that she acted in. After that, Birch faced difficulties in moving up to more serious roles and, albeit for her family’s interference in her affairs,
Conclusion
On one hand, the film as a masterpiece is recognized and awarded, but on the other hand Birch’s story makes viewers think about the number of factors behind the scenes. The nudity did not solely need naked skin—the viewers could get Naked of Hollywood’s perceptions of youth and freedom from parental supervision that presents itself even today.
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