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American Beauty

  • 1999
  • R
  • 2h 2m
IMDb RATING
8.3/10
1.3M
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
414
55
Kevin Spacey, Thora Birch, and Mena Suvari in 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.
Play trailer3:01
4 Videos
99+ Photos
Dark ComedyPsychological DramaDrama

A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.

  • Director
    • Sam Mendes
  • Writer
    • Alan Ball
  • Stars
    • Kevin Spacey
    • Annette Bening
    • Thora Birch
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    8.3/10
    1.3M
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    414
    55
    • Director
      • Sam Mendes
    • Writer
      • Alan Ball
    • Stars
      • Kevin Spacey
      • Annette Bening
      • Thora Birch
    • 3.2KUser reviews
    • 217Critic reviews
    • 84Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Top rated movie #87
    • Won 5 Oscars
      • 112 wins & 102 nominations total

    Videos4

    Theatrical Version
    Trailer 3:01
    Theatrical Version
    A Guide to the Films of Sam Mendes
    Clip 1:59
    A Guide to the Films of Sam Mendes
    A Guide to the Films of Sam Mendes
    Clip 1:59
    A Guide to the Films of Sam Mendes
    Roles That Jake Gyllenhaal Turned Down
    Video 2:55
    Roles That Jake Gyllenhaal Turned Down
    How TIFF Gets the Oscars Right
    Video 2:26
    How TIFF Gets the Oscars Right

    Photos298

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 292
    View Poster

    Top Cast45

    Kevin Spacey
    Kevin Spacey
    • Lester Burnham
    Annette Bening
    Annette Bening
    • Carolyn Burnham
    Thora Birch
    Thora Birch
    • Jane Burnham
    Wes Bentley
    Wes Bentley
    • Ricky Fitts
    Mena Suvari
    Mena Suvari
    • Angela Hayes
    Peter Gallagher
    Peter Gallagher
    • Buddy Kane
    Allison Janney
    Allison Janney
    • Barbara Fitts
    Chris Cooper
    Chris Cooper
    • Colonel Fitts
    Scott Bakula
    Scott Bakula
    • Jim Olmeyer
    Sam Robards
    Sam Robards
    • Jim Berkley
    Barry Del Sherman
    • Brad
    Ara Celi
    Ara Celi
    • Sale House Woman #1
    John Cho
    John Cho
    • Sale House Man #1
    Fort Atkinson
    • Sale House Man #2
    Sue Casey
    • Sale House Woman #2
    Kent Faulcon
    Kent Faulcon
    • Sale House Man #3
    Brenda Wehle
    Brenda Wehle
    • Sale House Women #4
    Lisa Cloud
    Lisa Cloud
    • Sale House Women #4
    • Director
      • Sam Mendes
    • Writer
      • Alan Ball
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews3.2K

    8.31287.5K
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    Summary

    Reviewers say 'American Beauty' Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus.

    Nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam quis enim lobortis scelerisque
    Lorem ipsum dolorSit amet consecteturAdipiscing elitSed do eiusmodTempor incididuntUt labore et doloreMagna aliquaUt enim ad minimVeniam quisNostrud exercitation
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    Oscars Best Picture Winners, Ranked

    Oscars Best Picture Winners, Ranked

    See the complete list of Oscars Best Picture winners, ranked by IMDb ratings.
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    Related interests

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    Dark Comedy
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    Psychological Drama
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    Drama

    Storyline

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      Director Sir Sam Mendes designed the two girls' look to change over the course of the film, with Thora Birch gradually using less makeup and Mena Suvari gradually using more, to emphasize his view of their shifting perceptions of themselves.
    • Goofs
      When Jane and Angela are outside talking to Ricky at school, Angela's cigarette keeps growing and shrinking throughout the conversation.
    • Quotes
      • [last lines]
      • Lester Burnham: [narrating] I had always heard your entire life flashes in front of your eyes the second before you die. First of all, that one second isn't a second at all, it stretches on forever, like an ocean of time... For me, it was lying on my back at Boy Scout camp, watching falling stars... And yellow leaves, from the maple trees, that lined our street... Or my grandmother's hands, and the way her skin seemed like paper... And the first time I saw my cousin Tony's brand new Firebird... And Janie... And Janie... And... Carolyn. I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me... but it's hard to stay mad, when there's so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst... And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and 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.
    • Crazy credits
      The end credits gives thanks to the Donmar Warehouse in London and Dr. Bill and Alice. This is a reference by Sam Mendes to the characters played by Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut (1999). Mendes directed Kidman in The Blue Room, which is a play performed at the Donmar Warehouse.
    • Alternate versions
      Some TV versions deleted most language and explicit content to maintain a clean TV-14 rating.
    • Connections
      Edited into Sex at 24 Frames Per Second (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      Because
      Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
      Performed by Elliott Smith
      Elliott Smith appears courtesy of DreamWorks Records

    Top picks

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    FAQ1

    • What is American Beauty About?

    Details

    • Release date
      • October 1, 1999 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Belleza americana
    • Filming locations
      • Sacramento, California, USA(aerial shots)
    • Production companies
      • DreamWorks Pictures
      • Jinks/Cohen Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    • Budget
      • $15,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $130,096,601
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $861,531
      • Sep 19, 1999
    • Gross worldwide
      • $356,296,601
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    • Runtime
      • 2h 2m(122 min)
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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