American Beauty (1999)

Coming Out at 17 September 1999 in theaters.

Drama

American Beauty is drama film written by Alan Ball and directed by Sam Mendes, in his feature directorial debut. Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, an advertising executive who has a midlife crisis when he becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter’s best friend, played by Mena Suvari. Annette Bening stars as Lester’s materialistic wife, Carolyn, and Thora Birch plays their insecure daughter, Jane. Wes Bentley, Chris Cooper, and Allison Janney also feature. Academics have described the film as a satire of American middle-class notions of beauty and personal satisfaction; further analysis has focused on the film’s explorations of romantic and paternal love, sexuality, materialism, self-liberation, and redemption.

Ball began writing American Beauty as a play in the early 1990s, partly inspired by the media circus that accompanied 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 rewritten script had a cynical outlook influenced by Ball’s frustrating tenures writing for several sitcoms. Producers Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen took the script for American Beauty to the fledgling DreamWorks studio, which bought it 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 twenty others were considered and several A-list directors reportedly turned down the opportunity.

Director: Sam Mendes

Writer: Alan Ball

Stars: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Peter Gallagher, Allison Janney

Cast

Kevin Spacey	…	Lester Burnham
Annette Bening	…	Carolyn Burnham
Thora Birch	…	Jane Burnham
Wes Bentley	…	Ricky Fitts
Mena Suvari	…	Angela Hayes
Peter Gallagher	…	Buddy Kane
Allison Janney	…	Barbara Fitts
Chris Cooper	…	Colonel Fitts
Scott Bakula	…	Jim Olmeyer
Sam Robards	…	Jim Berkley
Barry Del Sherman	…	Brad
Ara Celi	…	Sale House Woman #1
John Cho	…	Sale House Man #1
Fort Atkinson	…	Sale House Man #2
Sue Casey	…	Sale House Woman #2
Kent Faulcon	…	Sale House Man #3
Brenda Wehle	…	Sale House Women #4
Lisa Cloud	…	Sale House Women #4
Alison Faulk	…	Spartanette #1
Krista Goodsitt	…	Spartanette #2
Lily Houtkin	…	Spartanette #3
Carolina Lancaster	…	Spartanette #4
Mona Leah	…	Spartanette #5
Chekesha Van Putten	…	Spartanette #6
Emily Zachary	…	Spartanette #7
Nancy Anderson	…	Spartanette #8
Reshma Gajjar	…	Spartanette #9
Stephanie Rizzo	…	Spartanette #10
Heather Joy Sher	…	Playground Girl #1
Chelsea Hertford	…	Playground Girl #2
Amber Smith	…	Christy Kane
Joel McCrary	…	Catering Boss
Marissa Jaret Winokur	…	Mr. Smiley’s Counter Girl (Janine)
Dennis Anderson	…	Mr. Smiley’s Manager
Matthew Kimbrough	…	Firing Range Attendant
Erin Cathryn Strubbe	…	Young Jane
Bruce Cohen	…	Bartender
Elaine Corral Kendall	…	Newscaster
David C. Fisher	…	Wedding Guest
Tom Miller	…	Advertising Executive
Ronald Reagan	…	President Ronald Reagan (archive footage)