American Beauty, The Dining Room Scene!

What we learn about the Burnham family..

-They are all very distant                                     -Repetitive lives (the music is always the same)

-Family photos:                                                   -Father and daughter used to be close

 Happy once?                                   

 Show traditional family hierarchy

The Mise-en-Scene..

-The roses are the centerpiece of the table

-Table positions: the daughter is sat in the middle suggesting she is holding the family together

-Muted colours reflect the dullness of their life

-Red roses in the center of the table

 Blue walls in the dining room

 White kitchen

-Red, White and Blue: repeating motif

Camera Work..

-A long shot/establishing shot is used at the beginning of the scene to help introduce what's happening at that moment

-The camera very slowly moves into the conversation: 

 This focuses our attention to the conversation

 Suggests we are spying

Music..

-The music Caroline repeatedly plays is Bali Hai from South Pacific (old fashioned):
  Gives the idea she is also trapped but in the past
  Shows that she is in complete control
-The non-diegetic sound reflects the feelings or actions of the characters:
  When Lester and Jane are talking about how they used to be close the music reflects that they are upset
  When the boy is focused on the music sounds creepy which reflects the creepiness of what he's doing