American Beauty

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2:53

American Beauty

R

Released Oct 1, 1999

2h 2m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

193 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is a gainfully employed suburban husband and father. Fed up with his boring, stagnant existence, he quits his job and decides to reinvent himself as a pot-smoking, responsibility-shirking teenager. What follows is at once cynical, hysterical, and, eventually, tragically uplifting.

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Critics Consensus

Flawlessly cast and brimming with dark, acid wit, American Beauty is a smart, provocative high point of late '90s mainstream Hollywood film.

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Paul Clinton (CNN.com)

CNN.com

American Beauty is deeply disturbing, acerbically funny, brilliantly acted, breathtakingly original and highly sophisticated.

Feb 22, 2015

Full Review

Ann Hornaday

Baltimore Sun

A tightly coiled rage seethes beneath the pretty surface of American Beauty, a wickedly funny black comedy directed by newcomer Sam Mendes.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 22, 2015

Full Review

Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

This is Spacey's best performance since he took home an Oscar for The Usual Suspects.

Feb 22, 2015

Full Review

Nicolás Medina

Peliplat

In a world increasingly obsessed with appearance and superficiality, the film reminds us that the important thing was, and will be to look closer and find beauty in truth and authenticity. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 10/10

May 10, 2025

Full Review

Mark Johnson

Awards Daily

With its clever and thought-provoking exploration of middle-class life, American Beauty continues to ignite conversations and debates, setting it apart from many other films

Jun 14, 2023

Full Review

Joanna Connors

Cleveland Plain Dealer

[It's] a movie that years from now will end up on the lists of greatest movies ever made. It's a complete original, at once hugely entertaining and deeply thoughtful, combining comedy, tragedy and philosophy in surprising and gratifying ways.

Feb 4, 2022

Full Review

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THE NASHVILLE I

Ah yes- the most controversial “In hindsight” Best Picture of our entire lives. Up front: the main goals of the movie can be difficult to digest, even for a work of fiction. That said, it’s a tremendously well-made movie by Hollywood’s best actors, and one of the best working directors. True, the main idea especially can’t be endorsed. But to it’s credit the movie has guts to go difficult places, and it manages to do this well, with a fair mix humor amidst the heaviness throughout.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/12/25

Full Review

Elizabeth W

It doesn't surprise me that Kevin Spacey ended up being a creep in real life, he played his role too well lol. Overall, I was uncomfortable during the majority of the movie and it was d-i-s-t-u-r-b-i-n-g from beginning to end. Regardless, it was great.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/09/25

Full Review

Lee A

The single best movie of all time. Even twenty five years later with multiple viewings, it’s as beautiful and moving as ever.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/31/25

Full Review

Rami A

"American Beauty" is a great character, psychological study film. It has great balance. When there's comedy, we laugh, when there is tragedy, we sympathize for the "fallen hero."

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/29/25

Full Review

Faiz D

"It's hard to stay mad when there's so much beauty in the world." American Beauty is a brilliant debut from director Sam Mendes.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/13/25

Full Review

Audience Member

It's a nice movie. But I can't believe Spacey got oscar for this, lol

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/05/25

Full Review

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Sam Mendes

Director

Kevin Spacey

Lester Burnham

Annette Bening

Carolyn Burnham

Thora Birch

Jane Burnham

Wes Bentley

Ricky Fitts

Mena Suvari

Angela Hayes

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American Beauty: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is a gainfully employed suburban husband and father. Fed up with his boring, stagnant existence, he quits his job and decides to reinvent himself as a pot-smoking, responsibility-shirking teenager. What follows is at once cynical, hysterical, and, eventually, tragically uplifting.

Director: Sam Mendes
Producer: Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks
Screenwriter: Alan Ball
Distributor: DreamWorks SKG
Production Co: DreamWorks Pictures, Jinks/Cohen Company
Rating: R (Language|Drug Content|Strong Sexuality|Violence)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 1, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $130.1M
Runtime: 2h 2m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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