IMDb > American Beauty (1999)
American Beauty
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American Beauty (1999) More at IMDbPro »

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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.
American Beauty (1999) -- CineMagia.ro - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
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Director:
Sam Mendes
Writer (WGA):
Alan Ball (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for American Beauty on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1 October 1999 (USA) more
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
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Won 5 Oscars. Another 83 wins & 74 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(421 articles)
Five Minutes from the Opening Scene of Deadline
 (From 28 Days Later Analysis. 20 November 2009, 4:28 PM, PST)
Directors of the Decade: Brad Bird
 (From FilmExperience. 19 November 2009, 5:07 PM, PST)
User Comments:
One of my faves of the year...simply great. more (2497 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Kevin Spacey ... Lester Burnham

Annette Bening ... Carolyn Burnham

Thora Birch ... Jane Burnham

Wes Bentley ... Ricky Fitts

Mena Suvari ... Angela Hayes

Chris Cooper ... Col. Frank Fitts, USMC

Peter Gallagher ... Buddy Kane

Allison Janney ... Barbara Fitts

Scott Bakula ... Jim Olmeyer

Sam Robards ... Jim Berkley
Barry Del Sherman ... Brad Dupree

Ara Celi ... Sale House Woman #1

John Cho ... Sale House Man #1
Fort Atkinson ... Sale House Man #2
Sue Casey ... Sale House Woman #2
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for strong sexuality, language, violence and drug content.
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
122 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS
Certification:
Colombia:18 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Mexico:C | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Canada:18A (Alberta) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | France:-12 | Denmark:15 | Brazil:18 | Netherlands:12 (re-rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:MA | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-14 | Germany:12 (bw) (original rating) | Germany:16 (bw) (re-rating) | Hong Kong:III | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | India:A | Ireland:18 | Israel:PG | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R-18 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Poland:15 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #36807) | Philippines:R-18 | Singapore:R(A) | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating)
Filming Locations:
11388 Homedale Street, Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, USA more
Company:
DreamWorks SKG more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The movie was named as one of "The 20 Most Overrated Movies Of All Time" by Premiere. more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: When Lester is driving in his car after leaving his advertising job, the trailing motorcycle cop escorting the picture vehicle (Camry) being towed on the process trailer behind the camera car can be seen going in and out of the shot in the rear window. 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?
more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in Daisy Does... (2006) more
Soundtrack:
All Right Now more

FAQ

Is this movie based on a novel?
Do the police ever arrest Frank Fitts?
How old was Jane supposed to be?
more

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
139 out of 179 people found the following comment useful.
One of my faves of the year...simply great., 5 November 1999
10/10
Author: The Woof (woofy@global2000.net) from USA

This movie was a joy to watch. I didn't know what to expect when I came into it. I had heard the buzz of the acting and the story, etc...but we've all heard that before and had been disappointed, but not so with this one.

Kevin Spacey plays this part to a "T". He is strong when it requires and meek when it is needed. His emotional rollercoaster ride is a trip to partake in. Annette Bening is marvelous as well. I think they both should be nominated.

The support cast is also spectacular. Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, and Mena Suvari all give great performances as the troubled "Teenagers" in the film. Of particular mention is Wes Bentley's performance, worthy of a supporting nomination as well.

This is a dramatic and funny tale of a man and his life in a state of turmoil and transition. When he happens to see a beautiful friend of his daughter's at a cheerleading exhibition, he is completely infatuated with her beauty. Using this as his inspiration, he attempts to change all aspects of his life. He confronts his marriage, his job, his ego, and his libido.

The music in this film is also very well chosen. There are moments when the music fits so perfectly with the scene that they meld together as one to present a perfect emotion.

The plot can get rather involved, but you will follow it endlessly to see where you go. I was simply involved, hook, line and sinker.

See this movie more than once, and skip some of the other movies out now that are dare I say, trash.

This should be on the top of many critic's lists this year and it is certainly on top of mine.

My Rating (1 - 10): 10

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Message Boards

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Thora Birch too young to expose breasts? toxicwaste87
Marijuana sell scene. timherremans
Question about the ending (spoilers) j-stolze
Thinking about getting the tagline as a tattoo hgm501-1
song help GeminiKiller
This movie is about the expeirience of death oneofakind151
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