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American Beauty
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American Beauty (1999)

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User Rating: 8.6/10 (223,939 votes)
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Overview

Director:
Sam Mendes
Writer (WGA):
Alan Ball (written by)
Release Date:
1 October 1999 (USA) more view trailer
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
... look closer
Plot:
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. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won 5 Oscars. Another 83 wins & 74 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(145 articles)
New Show For Spacey (From WENN. 1 August 2008, 5:24 AM, PDT)
Alan Ball Talks True Blood! (From Twitch. 26 July 2008, 7:28 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
The Beautiful Truth more

Cast

 (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Belleza americana (Argentina) (Mexico) (Peru) (Venezuela) [es]
American Beauty (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Beleza Americana (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
йПЮЯНРЮ ОН юЛЕПХЙЮМЯЙХ (Russia) [ru]
American Beauty (Greece) [el]
American Beauty (Denmark) [da]
American Beauty (Italy) [it]
American Beauty (Finland) [fi]
American Beauty (Spain) [es]
American Beauty (France) [fr]
American Beauty (Norway) [no]
Americká krása (Slovakia) [sk]
Americká krása (Czech Republic) [cs]
Americka lepota (Serbia) [sr]
Amerikai szépség (Hungary) [hu]
Amerikan güzeli (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Beauté américaine (Canada: French title) [fr]
more
MPAA:
Rated R for strong sexuality, language, violence and drug content.
Runtime:
122 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS
MOVIEmeter: ?
V 16% since last week why?
Company:
DreamWorks SKG more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The self-help tapes that Carolyn listens to are made by a "Dr. Alan Ball." Alan Ball is the film's screenwriter. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Angela meets Lester for the second time (by the refrigerator) her head is touching the corner of the wall. In the reverse angle of Lester, her head is away from the wall (so the camera can see Lester). 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: You want me to do it?
Jane Burnham: Yeah. Would you?
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream (2005) more
Soundtrack:
Don't Rain On My Parade more

FAQ

How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
Is this movie based on a novel?
What is "American Beauty" about?
more
11 out of 18 people found the following comment useful:-
The Beautiful Truth, 2 November 1999
10/10
Author: WiseFool from Bay Area

This is a profound movie that examines ordinary people. For all their flaws people are basically beautiful and that is one of the many threads of the fabric of this film. I liked that it was revealed at the start of the film that Lester would soon meet his demise. And I also liked at the ending, the identity of the person who took his life didn't really matter, just the sadness of the loss of his life. 'Look Closer' was the theme of this movie and Lester even had this motto in his cubical. Kevin assumed the persona of Lester with a range of acting that is quite worthy of awards. Bening inhabited Carolyn in much the same way. Which one of us hasn't experienced the disillusionment of our teenage years, only to later re-experienced it again through our children. And like Carolyn, who among us has not been intensely disappointed with ourself at some point? That one scene was amazing, it looked so real that it transcended acting. And can a movie actually move beyond entertainment by causing more than absorbing discussion, but real change in it's audience? Perhaps. But if this is true, then that movie would be American Beauty. And for those who feel this movie doesn't achieve this lofty accolade. To them I say, "Never underestimate the power of denial." A ten, of course.

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