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IMDbPro

American Beauty

  • 19991999
  • RR
  • 2h 2m
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
1.1M
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
351
35
Kevin Spacey, Thora Birch, Mena Suvari, and Wes Bentley in American Beauty (1999)
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.
Play trailer3:01
4 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama
A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
1.1M
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
351
35
  • Director
    • Sam Mendes
  • Writer
    • Alan Ball
  • Stars
    • Kevin Spacey
    • Annette Bening
    • Thora Birch
Top credits
  • Director
    • Sam Mendes
  • Writer
    • Alan Ball
  • Stars
    • Kevin Spacey
    • Annette Bening
    • Thora Birch
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 3KUser reviews
    • 212Critic reviews
    • 84Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #67
    • Won 5 Oscars
      • 111 wins & 102 nominations total

    Videos4

    Theatrical Version
    Trailer 3:01
    Theatrical Version
    A Guide to the Films of Sam Mendes
    Clip 1:59
    A Guide to the Films of Sam Mendes
    Roles That Jake Gyllenhaal Turned Down
    Video 2:55
    Roles That Jake Gyllenhaal Turned Down
    How TIFF Gets the Oscars Right
    Video 2:26
    How TIFF Gets the Oscars Right

    Photos263

    Kevin Spacey and Mena Suvari in American Beauty (1999)
    Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening in American Beauty (1999)
    Kevin Spacey in American Beauty (1999)
    Kevin Spacey and Thora Birch in American Beauty (1999)
    Annette Bening in American Beauty (1999)
    Thora Birch, Mena Suvari, and Wes Bentley in American Beauty (1999)
    Kevin Spacey and Sam Mendes in American Beauty (1999)
    Thora Birch in American Beauty (1999)
    Lester and Carolyn in the car
    Carolyn scrubbing frantically
    Carolyn vacuuming
    In a bed of roses

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kevin Spacey
    Kevin Spacey
    • Lester Burnhamas Lester Burnham
    Annette Bening
    Annette Bening
    • Carolyn Burnhamas Carolyn Burnham
    Thora Birch
    Thora Birch
    • Jane Burnhamas Jane Burnham
    Wes Bentley
    Wes Bentley
    • Ricky Fittsas Ricky Fitts
    Mena Suvari
    Mena Suvari
    • Angela Hayesas Angela Hayes
    Peter Gallagher
    Peter Gallagher
    • Buddy Kaneas Buddy Kane
    Allison Janney
    Allison Janney
    • Barbara Fittsas Barbara Fitts
    Chris Cooper
    Chris Cooper
    • Colonel Fittsas Colonel Fitts
    Scott Bakula
    Scott Bakula
    • Jim Olmeyeras Jim Olmeyer
    Sam Robards
    Sam Robards
    • Jim Berkleyas Jim Berkley
    Barry Del Sherman
    Barry Del Sherman
    • Bradas Brad
    Ara Celi
    Ara Celi
    • Sale House Woman #1as Sale House Woman #1
    John Cho
    John Cho
    • Sale House Man #1as Sale House Man #1
    Fort Atkinson
    • Sale House Man #2as Sale House Man #2
    Sue Casey
    • Sale House Woman #2as Sale House Woman #2
    Kent Faulcon
    Kent Faulcon
    • Sale House Man #3as Sale House Man #3
    Brenda Wehle
    Brenda Wehle
    • Sale House Women #4as Sale House Women #4
    Lisa Cloud
    Lisa Cloud
    • Sale House Women #4as Sale House Women #4
    • Director
      • Sam Mendes
    • Writer
      • Alan Ball
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Director Sam Mendes designed the two girls' look to change over the course of the film, with Thora Birch gradually using less makeup and Mena Suvari gradually using more, to emphasize his view of their shifting perceptions of themselves.
    • Goofs
      In the dinner scene where Lester throws the bowl of asparagus against the wall, the picture frame has been centered between the windows over the console table, and the table lamp visible in an earlier scene has been removed. These changes are not down to continuity as such. The script originally called for Lester to throw the plate on the floor; however, it was decided that he throw it against the wall instead without the knowledge of Annette Bening or Thora Birch. It had to be done in one take (which it was) to get a real shock reaction. The lamp was removed to avoid any debris knocking it over, and the picture was repositioned in line with Lester's aim for a clean throw and to minimize any risk of Kevin Spacey knocking the picture off the wall, spoiling the 'one-take shot'.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Lester Burnham: [narrating] I had always heard your entire life flashes in front of your eyes the second before you die. First of all, that one second isn't a second at all, it stretches on forever, like an ocean of time... For me, it was lying on my back at Boy Scout camp, watching falling stars... And yellow leaves, from the maple trees, that lined our street... Or my grandmother's hands, and the way her skin seemed like paper... And the first time I saw my cousin Tony's brand new Firebird... And Janie... And Janie... And... Carolyn. I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me... but it's hard to stay mad, when there's so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst... And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life... You have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure. But don't worry... you will someday.

    • Crazy credits
      thanks to all at the Donmar Warehouse in London and Dr. Bill and Alice
    • Connections
      Edited into Sex at 24 Frames Per Second (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      Because
      Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney

      Performed by Elliott Smith

      Elliott Smith appears courtesy of DreamWorks Records

    User reviews3K

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    Far and away the best film of the year
    What can I say, except that this film really knocked me on my keaster. I went in to the theater not knowing what to expect, but was pretty sure it would be worth the ticket price. Boy was I happy when I left. Not only was it worth the ticket, I paid to see this film two more times. This film is virtually perfect. The acting is superb, the story is magnificent, the narrative is brilliant, and the structure of the film is truly groundbreaking (absolutely loved the last 20 minutes). What really surprised me about this film was how well the cinematography was done. In a small, character driven film such as this, it is very unusual to have such great cinematography. With this film, there is something interesting going on in every scene, not many films you can say that about. In a year where first time directors have made some of the best films, Three Kings, Being John Malkovich, etc... Sam Mendes seems to have out-done them all. Though I have yet to see The Green Mile or Magnolia, I find it hard to believe that either film will out-shine American Beauty. This film should easily win a substantial amount of the Oscars this year. What's up with all the cirtics awards snubbing it so far?
    helpful•128
    56
    • bootsy-4
    • Dec 14, 1999

    FAQ4

    • What is American Beauty About?
    • Who is Col. Frank Fitts?
    • Why did Jane show her breasts to Ricky?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 1, 1999 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Vẻ Đẹp Mỹ
    • Filming locations
      • Sacramento, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Dreamworks Pictures
      • Jinks/Cohen Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $15,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $130,096,601
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $861,531
      • Sep 19, 1999
    • Gross worldwide
      • $356,296,601
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 2 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

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