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American Beauty (1999 film)

American Beauty
Poster image of a woman's abdomen with her hand holding a rose against it.
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Sam Mendes
Produced by
Written by Alan Ball
Starring
Music by Thomas Newman
Cinematography Conrad L. Hall
Edited by
Production
company
Jinks/Cohen Company
Distributed by DreamWorks Pictures
Release date
Running time
122 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $15 million
Box office $356.3 million
Actor Role
Spacey, KevinKevin Spacey Burnham, LesterLester Burnham
Bening, AnnetteAnnette Bening Burnham, CarolynCarolyn Burnham
Birch, ThoraThora Birch Burnham, JaneJane Burnham
Bentley, WesWes Bentley Fitts, RickyRicky Fitts
Suvari, MenaMena Suvari Hayes, AngelaAngela Hayes
Gallagher, PeterPeter Gallagher Kane, BuddyBuddy Kane
Janney, AllisonAllison Janney Fitts, BarbaraBarbara Fitts
Cooper, ChrisChris Cooper Fitts, Col. FrankCol. Frank Fitts
Del Sherman, BarryBarry Del Sherman Dupree, BradBrad Dupree

American Beauty is a 1999 American drama film directed by Sam Mendes and written by Alan Ball. Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, a 42-year-old advertising executive who has a midlife crisis when he becomes infatuated with his teenaged daughter's best friend, Angela (Mena Suvari). Annette Bening co-stars as Lester's materialistic wife, Carolyn, and Thora Birch plays their insecure daughter, Jane. Wes Bentley, Chris Cooper, and Allison Janney also feature. The film is described by academics as a satire of American middle-class notions of beauty and personal satisfaction; analysis has focused on the film's explorations of romantic, and paternal love, sexuality, beauty, materialism, self-liberation, and redemption.

Ball began writing American Beauty as a play in the early 1990s, partly inspired by the media circus around the Amy Fisher trial in 1992. He shelved the play after realizing the story would not work on stage. After several years as a television screenwriter, Ball revived the idea in 1997 when attempting to break into the film industry. The modified script had a cynical outlook that was influenced by Ball's frustrating tenures writing for several sitcoms. Producers Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen took American Beauty to DreamWorks; the then-fledgling film studio bought Ball's script for $250,000, outbidding several other production bodies. DreamWorks financed the $15 million production and served as its North American distributor. American Beauty marked acclaimed theater director Mendes' film debut; courted after his successful productions of the musicals Oliver! and Cabaret, Mendes was, nevertheless, only given the job after 20 others were considered and several "A-list" directors turned down the opportunity.


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