AMERICAN BEAUTY (1999)

VISUAL AIDS
POSTERS AND COVER ART



THE BACK OF THE BOX
WHAT THE STUDIO WANTS YOU TO KNOW

    ...look closer at the most talked about film of the year. Intelligent, provocative and wickedly funny. American Beauty has struck a chord with audiences around the world and became a defining achievement in cinematic history.
    ...look closer at the most honored film of the year. Winner of 5 Academy Awards, American Beauty appeared on over 275 Top 10 lists and was named Best Picture of the Year by over 65 critics. In an extraordinary directorial debut, Sam Mendes (Directors Guild of America Award) teamed with screenwriter Alan Ball (Writers Guild of America Award) to capture unparalleled praise among critics and audiences alike.
    ...look closer at the most acclaimed cast of the year led by brilliant performances from Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening as the indelible Lester and Carolyn Burnham, a seemingly ordinary couple in an anonymous suburban neighborhood whose marriage - and lives - are slowly unraveling. From beginning to startling end, American Beauty has been deemed a "flat-out masterpiece" (Rod Dreher, New York Post) that will entertain and challenge audiences to... look closer for years to come.

STARRING:

Kevin Spacey: Lester Burnham
Annette Bening: Carolyn Burnham
Thora Birch: Jane Burnham
Allison Janney: Barbara Fitts
Peter Gallagher: Buddy Kane
Mena Suvari: Angela Hayes
Wes Bentley: Ricky Fitts
Chris Cooper: Col. Frank Fitts, USMC

SCREENWRITER: Alan Ball

DIRECTOR: Sam Mendes

RUNNING TIME: 122 minutes

STUDIO: Dreamworks

Average Hollywood Guys Rating: A

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GIGGLES, GLOBES AND OSCARS
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS

ACADEMY AWARDS
(8 nominations and 5 wins)

Best Picture
(winner)

Best Actor - Kevin Spacey
(winner)

Best Actress - Annette Bening
(nominated)

Best Director - Sam Mendes
(winner)

Best Original Screenplay - Alan Ball
(winner)

Best Cinematography - Conrad L. Hall
(winner)

Best Editing - Tariq Anwar
(nominated)

Best Original Score - Thomas Newman
(nominated)

---

GOLDEN GIGGLES
(1 nomination and 1 win)

Classic Inductee (Drama/Sci-Fi) (2008)
(winner)

---

GOLDEN GLOBES
(6 nominations and 3 wins)

Best Picture (Drama)
(winner)

Best Actor (Drama) - Kevin Spacey
(nominated)

Best Actress (Drama) - Annette Bening
(nominated)

Best Director - Sam Mendes
(winner)

Best Screenplay - Alan Ball
(winner)

Best Original Score - Thomas Newman
(nominated)
 
 
 

Wanna see what else was nominated?
Just click on a heading to see the full listing of winners and nominees.

THE GEEK BOX
TRIVIA TO IMPRESS YOUR EASILY IMPRESSED FRIENDS

• This is the first film to recive an "A" rating from the Hollywood Guys.
• At only 17, Thora Birch had to get special permission from her parents to shoot her nude scene in this film. Part of the deal was that her parents had to be on set during the shoot, along with a child labor representative.
• Former Lakers cheerleader Paula Abdul choreographed the Spartanettes' cheer routine.
• Before the film was given to Sam Mendes the director's chair was offered to Terry Gilliam, who turned the offer down.
• Director Sam Mendes said his first choice for the lead roles were Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening, however the lead role was originally offered to Chevy Chase and then Tom Hanks before being snagged by Kevin Spacey.
• Alan Ball started out writing this script about Amy Fisher, the real-life woman who shot Joey Buttafuoco's wife abruptly ending a love triangle. However, as he worked on the script, the story faded farther and farther away until it became this film.
• Jake Gyllenhaal auditioned for the role of Ricky Fitts, but lost the part to Wes Bentley. Mendes would later cast him as a lead in Jarhead.

ACTOR LIST~~MOVIE LIST~~DIRECTOR LIST~~SCREENWRITER LIST