American Beauty
Overview
American Beauty is a 1999 drama film directed by Sam Mendes, written by Alan Ball. The film stars Kevin Spacey as Lester Burnham, a middle-aged advertising executive who is having a mid-life crisis. The film is set in an anonymous American suburb, a world of manicured lawns, pristine houses, and desperate, unhappy people. Lester is married to Carolyn (Annette Bening), a materialistic, ambitious real estate agent who despises him. They have a teenage daughter, Jane (Thora Birch), who is sullen and depressed. Lester hates his job, he hates his wife, and he hates his life. He is sexually attracted to Jane's friend, Angela (Mena Suvari), a beautiful, confident teenager. He quits his job, blackmails his boss, and starts working at a fast-food restaurant. He starts smoking marijuana, he starts working out, and he starts acting like a teenager. The film is a satire of suburban life, and a meditation on beauty, desire, and the search for meaning. The film is narrated by Lester, who tells us that he will be dead within a year. The film ends with Lester being shot by his closeted, homophobic neighbor, Colonel Fitts (Chris Cooper), who has mistaken Lester's kindness for a sexual advance. As Lester dies, he watches a home video of his family, and he realizes that he has been happy. American Beauty won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Kevin Spacey, and Best Original Screenplay. The film is a brilliant, darkly funny, and deeply sad portrait of American life at the end of the 20th century.
