American Beauty (1999)
- Directed by
- Sam Mendes
- Written by
- Alan Ball
- Cast
- Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Chris Cooper, Peter Gallagher, Allison Janney
- Genre
- drama film, comedy drama, black comedy film, LGBTQ-related film, flashback film
- Country
- United States
- Runtime
- 2h 01m
- Rated
- R
- Rating
- 8.0 of 10 from 13,139 voters
- Elsewhere
- IMDb
The catalogue in 3D
The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.
How it feels
A middle-aged advertising executive becomes obsessed with his teenage daughter's best friend, triggering a crisis in his family. His materialistic wife and insecure daughter each grapple with their own disappointments and desires.
satiricalmelancholictenseunsettlingdarkly comicslow-burnreflectiveyearningvisually lush
What happens
American Beauty is a 1999 American black comedy and psychological drama film directed by Sam Mendes in his feature directorial debut, and written by Alan Ball. 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, Peter Gallagher, and Allison Janney co-star. Academics have described the film as satirizing how beauty and personal satisfaction are perceived by the American middle class; further analysis has focused on the film's explorations of romantic and paternal love, sexuality, materialism, and self-liberation. American Beauty was released by DreamWorks Pictures in North America on September 15, 1999, and was widely released on October 1, receiving widespread critical and popular acclaim. It was the second-best-reviewed American film of the year behind Being John Malkovich and grossed over $350 million worldwide against its $15-million budget, becoming the ninth highest-grossing film of 1999. DreamWorks launched a major campaign to increase American Beauty's chances of Oscar success following its controversial Best Picture snub for Saving Private Ryan (1998) the previous year. At the 72nd Academy Awards, the film won five Oscars, including Best Picture, along with Best Director for Mendes, Best Actor for Spacey, Best Original Screenplay for Ball, and Best Cinematography for Conrad L. Hall. The film was nominated for and won many other awards and honors, mainly for directing, writing, and acting. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)
More like this
Fight Club (1999)
The Big Brass Ring (1999)
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Rites of Passage (1999)
Straightman (1999)
Election (1999)
Wildly Available (1999)
The Dying Gaul (2005)- More like this film, on a shelf you can walk up to.It's the lit case on the top shelf.