American Beauty is a 1999 comedy/drama film that explores themes of romantic and paternal love, freedom, sexuality, beauty, self-liberation, existentialism, the search for happiness, and family against the backdrop of modern American suburbia. It was the feature film debuts for writer Alan Ball and director Sam Mendes.
Kevin Spacey) is a cynical 42-year-old man living in the suburbs. His wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening), is an ambitious but bitter, burned-out realtor who secretly dislikes her work. Their daughter, Jane, (Thora Birch) is a "typical" teenager.
Neither Lester nor Carolyn are happy at all in their marriage, and each one blames the other one for their unhappiness. As a result, they spend most dinners bickering across the table at each other, which in turn costs both of them Jane's respect.
A family consisting of the conservative Colonel Frank Fitts, USMC (Chris Cooper), his catatonic wife Barbara (Allison Janney) and their introspective and secretly drug dealing son Ricky (Wes Bentley) moves next door to the Burnhams. Jane soon notices Ricky videotaping her through her bedroom window, which secretly flatters her.
Lester finds motivation for transforming himself after meeting Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari), Jane's best friend and classmate. Angela, a beautiful, confident and supposedly promiscuous cheerleader who aspires to be a model, captivates Lester the moment he sees her perform a school dance routine at a basketball game. He develops an obvious crush on her, much to Jane's embarrassment and disgust. Angela, however, finds Lester "sweet" and later comments to Jane that if he were more muscular, she would "totally fuck him," which Lester overhears. He then starts an intensive workout regimen.
In one eventful day, Carolyn begins an extramarital affair with a rival realtor, Buddy King (Peter Gallagher), and also decides to begin relieving her stress at a shooting range. Lester is fired from his job (which he really is not sorry about since he hated the job anyway), mouths off to the "efficiency expert" hired to help his company and then blackmails his boss for an enormous severance package. He begins work anew at a fast food restaurant, Mr. Smiley's, wanting the job with the "least possible amount of responsibility," which infuriates Carolyn, who will now have to shoulder the bulk of the household bills. Jane and Ricky bond over camcorder footage of a plastic bag "dancing" in the wind, which Ricky considers the most beautiful thing he has ever recorded.
Lester then catches his wife with Buddy King at a drive-thru window of the fast food restaurant where he has now taken a job. Carolyn's lover breaks off their liaison, and she angrily drives home with her gun with the intention of confronting her husband, believing him to have ruined her life. Lester calls Ricky to the house for marijuana, raising the suspicions of an already angry Col. Fitts, who watches the two in Lester's garage and, mistaking their meeting for homosexual prostitution, subsequently forces Ricky to leave the house, who is happy to oblige.
When Ricky and Jane plan to leave for New York City, Angela, who is visiting Jane's house, accuses both of being "freaks," to which Ricky retorts that she is ugly, ordinary, and boring. At the same time, Lester is confronted and kissed by an emotional Col. Fitts, but he rejects this advance as a misunderstanding.
Lester then finds Angela in tears. His attempt to seduce her derails when she says that she is a virgin. He cannot bring himself to take her virginity and instead makes her a snack and soda in the kitchen. For the first time in a long while, Lester realizes how lucky he is to have such a beautiful family and wonderful life. As Angela heads to the bathroom, Lester contemplates an old photo of his once-smiling family, unaware that a gun is being held to the back of his head. The movie ends with Lester's description of his life flashing before his eyes, interspersed with scenes of his family and others at the moment of the gunshot. It is revealed that the gun that killed him was in fact that of Col. Fitts and not Carolyn's.
Lester's final narration is, 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.
(részletek elrejtése)American Beauty is a 1999 comedy/drama film that explores themes of romantic and paternal love, freedom, sexuality, beauty, self-liberation, existentialism, the search for happiness, and family against the backdrop of modern American suburbia. It was the feature film debuts for writer Alan Ball and director Sam Mendes.
Kevin Spacey) is a cynical 42-year-old man living in the suburbs. His wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening), is an ambitious but bitter, burned-out realtor who secretly dislikes her...
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