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American Beauty (1999)

R  122 min  -  Drama   -  1 October 1999 (USA)
8.5
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Ratings: 8.5/10 from 384,231 users   Metascore: 86/100 
Reviews: 2,584 user | 230 critic | 33 from Metacritic.com

Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation for his daughter's attractive friend.

Director:

Sam Mendes

Writer:

Alan Ball
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Top 250 #40 | Won 5 Oscars. Another 84 wins & 74 nominations See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Spacey ...
Annette Bening ...
Thora Birch ...
Wes Bentley ...
Mena Suvari ...
Chris Cooper ...
Peter Gallagher ...
Allison Janney ...
Scott Bakula ...
Sam Robards ...
Barry Del Sherman ...
Ara Celi ...
Sale House Woman #1
John Cho ...
Sale House Man #1
Fort Atkinson Fort Atkinson ...
Sale House Man #2
Sue Casey Sue Casey ...
Sale House Woman #2
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Storyline

Lester and Carolyn Burnham are on the outside, a perfect husband and wife, in a perfect house, in a perfect neighborhood. But inside, Lester is slipping deeper and deeper into a hopeless depression. He finally snaps when he becomes infatuated with one of his daughter's friends. Meanwhile, his daughter Jane is developing a happy friendship with a shy boy-next-door named Ricky, who lives with a homophobic father. Written by Jessie Skinner <eietherbinge@hotmail.com>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

... look closer

Genres:

Drama

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, language, violence and drug content See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Official Sites:

DreamWorks | Add/edit official sites  »

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Belleza americana See more »

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$861,531 (USA) (19 September 1999) (16 Screens)

Gross:

$356,296,601 (Worldwide)
See more »

Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

DTS  | Dolby Digital  | SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The hand and stomach on the film's poster do not belong to Mena Suvari, but are in fact those of actress/model Chloe Hunter. See more »

Goofs

Crew or equipment visible: In the opening sequence of the film we see an overhead shot of the Burnhams' master bedroom, Lester is lying in bed on his stomach, rousing when his alarm clock goes off. Circular white matte board cutouts cap the top of the lamp shades on either side of the bed blocking the bare light bulbs from shining straight into the camera lens (and probably hiding color correcting gels on the bulbs that would only be found in lamps on nightstands in bedrooms on stage). See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Jane Burnham: I need a father who's a role model, not some horny geek-boy who's gonna spray his shorts whenever I bring a girlfriend home from school. What a lame-o. Someone really should just put him out of his misery.
Ricky Fitts: Want me to kill him for you?
Jane Burnham: Yeah. Would you?
See more »

Crazy Credits

thanks to all at the Donmar Warehouse in London and Dr. Bill and Alice See more »

Connections

Referenced in "At the Movies: Summer Special 2008/09 (#5.42)" (2008) See more »

Soundtracks

"Call Me Irresponsible"
Written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen
Performed by Bobby Darin
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets See more »