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American Beauty

American Beauty is a 1999 American black comedy-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 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, self-liberation, and sexual grooming.

Plot

Lester Burnham, a middle-aged media executive in suburbia, hates his job and is unhappily married to neurotic, ambitious real estate agent Carolyn. Their 16-year-old daughter, Jane, hates her parents and has low self-esteem. Retired Marine colonel Frank Fitts, his near-catatonic wife Barbara, and their teenage son Ricky move in next door. Ricky documents the world around him with a camcorder, collecting recordings on videotape in his bedroom, as he finds beauty in everyday occurrences. To pay for supplies, he deals marijuana, using his part-time catering jobs as a front. A strict and abusive disciplinarian, Frank previously had Ricky sent to a psychiatric hospital and a military academy. Gay couple Jim Olmeyer and Jim Berkley, also neighbors to the Burnhams, welcome the Fitts family, angering the homophobic Frank.

Awards

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    author
    award Academy Award for Best Actor Academy Award for Best Cinematography Academy Award for Best Director Academy Award for Best Picture Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay Amanda Award for Best Foreign Feature Film BAFTA Award for Best Film Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film National Board of Review Award for Best Film National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
    contentLocation California
    director Sam Mendes
    editor Christopher Greenbury Tariq Anwar
    events culture of the United States dysfunctional family role social convention virginity
    genre action comedy-drama romance
    keywords basketball game blackmail catatonia catatonic cheerlead clothe coach collect colonel disownment drive estate agent even expels him from the house family photograph fast food restaurant gay couple homophobia homophobic marijuana marine married military academy murder new york city pontiac firebird psychiatric hospital real estate agent record retire sexual fantasies sexual fantasy smoke suburbia tease teenage son understand united states marine corps work out
    musicBy Thomas Newman
    nomination Academy Award for Best Actor Academy Award for Best Actress Academy Award for Best Cinematography Academy Award for Best Director Academy Award for Best Film Editing Academy Award for Best Original Score Academy Award for Best Picture Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay European Film Award for Best Non-European Film
    producer Bruce Cohen Dan Jinks
    productionCompany Jinks/Cohen Company
    publisher DreamWorks Pictures
    recordedAt Long Beach
    theme black comedy coming-of-age lgbt-related romantic drama satirical spy teen drama teen romance