Members KLN Posted March 2, 2006 Members Share Posted March 2, 2006 I've loved this movie from the first moment I saw it, and I've considered it one of my favorites ever since. So... does anyone else love this movie, such as I? Favorite scenes? As I posted in the "What movies make you cry?" thread, the entire last fifteen minutes are my favorite. Near the end of "American Beauty," Lester (Kevin Spacey) is about to have sex with Mena Suvari's teenage character. He unbuttons her shirt, and they prepare to have sex. Then, sitting there with her breasts exposed, she tells him that she's a virgin. He closes her shirt back up, and with respect, he tells her that he can't do this with her. For her sake. Afterwards, he takes her to the kitchen and she gets a sandwich to eat. She looks up and him and asks him how he's doing. He pauses for a moment, smiles, and says, "It's been a long time since someone's asked me that... I'm great." His final moment of contentment, clarity and happiness -- what he had been yearning for -- moments before being killed. After being shot in the head, his daughter Jane comes down the stairs with her boyfriend, Ricky, after hearing the gunshot. Ricky looks at Lester's dead face, smiles slightly (noting earlier in the movie that he finds beauty in death), and then realizes what he's staring at with horror. Lester's voice then narrates how that 'one second' of your life flashing before your eyes just before death isn't one second at all, but instead it's a moment that goes on forever. He recalled the times in his life... sitting on the grass and looking up at the stars as a little boy... how his grandmother's hands felt like leather/paper... his wife, Caroline... his daughter, both young and grown up. The movie closes with Lester's voice talking about how he can't help but feel "nothing but gratitude for every second of my stupid little life. You have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure. But don't worry." Then the screen turns to black. "You will someday." Ahh! Chills. That entire last fifteen minutes of the movie just gives me chills and makes me cry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chris Posted March 2, 2006 Members Share Posted March 2, 2006 The best film of 1999, that's for sure. You're right about the last 15 minutes being pure genious in filmmaking. I can't remember where this was exactly, but when Carolyn and Buddy go through the drive-thru and Lester sees them is great. Also, the scene where Carolyn screams in her car outside of the hotel and the dinner scene where Lester blows up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KLN Posted March 2, 2006 Author Members Share Posted March 2, 2006 I love those scenes! Lester is like, "Would you like any buddy sauce with that?!" LoL And the other worker. "You are sooo busted!" Caroline tells her to shut up, and Lester tells her, "Well, you're kind of on her turf..." I love that. I also love the scene where Caroline is trying to sell a house, but nobody buys it after a whole day of 'open house.' After everyone leaves, Caroline cries to her self, then slaps herself in the face. "Shut up! You shut up!" OMG, what a nut, LoL. And when Lester/Caroline are about to make love on the couch, but her obsessive-compulsive disorder interrupts even THAT when she sees him about to spill beer on the sofa. "Lester, you're going to spill beer on the couch." Lester: "It's just a couch." Caroline: "...this is yadda yadda yadda upholstered yadda yadda yadda. It's not JUST A COUCH." Lester: "IT'S JUST A COUCH!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alwaysAMC Posted March 2, 2006 Members Share Posted March 2, 2006 This is in my top 5 favorite/best movies. This movie is amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OneLife Fan Posted March 2, 2006 Members Share Posted March 2, 2006 I havn't seen it yet...but want too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KLN Posted April 27, 2006 Author Members Share Posted April 27, 2006 I love the song that plays near the end of the movie, when Angela is sitting in the living room in the dark and Annie Lenox's "Dont Let It Bring You Down" is playing on the stereo. Lester walks in, and she tells him it's been a weird night. He tells her that her night couldn't possibly be any stranger than his. And they just have this sweet, great conversation while the song continues to play. And it just sets such a mood. It's sad, yet peaceful... amazing. I love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OneLife Fan Posted April 27, 2006 Members Share Posted April 27, 2006 I have yet to see this movie. But Kevin Spacey is an awesome actor..so i am sure i will love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mr. sweet Posted April 27, 2006 Members Share Posted April 27, 2006 This is my fave movie ever. And its not coincidence that my fave show of all time is Six Feet Under, which was created by Alan Ball, the writer of American Beauty. This movie is tragic, funny, twisted, depressing and insightful all at once. I agree that the last 15 minutes of the film is amazing. I especially loved when they showed where each character was when the gun went off. I haven't seen it in awhile. Maybe I'll watch it tonight. Great film! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bree Posted April 28, 2006 Members Share Posted April 28, 2006 I didn't care for this movie, despite my love for Kevin Spacey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shawn Posted April 28, 2006 Members Share Posted April 28, 2006 I'm with you Bree. Granted, I do love Kevin Spacey, ever since The Usual Suspects. BUT I felt the movie was contrived and too in love with itself. The scene where the psycho kid was going on and on and on about how beautiful a freakin plastic bag was annoyed the hell out of me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members R!ck Posted May 2, 2006 Members Share Posted May 2, 2006 One of my fave movies of all time.... see quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members King Posted May 2, 2006 Members Share Posted May 2, 2006 The dinner table scene where Lester stands up to Caroline is probably mine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hartless Posted May 2, 2006 Members Share Posted May 2, 2006 Hands down one of the best and most beautiful movies I've ever seen. Spacey's performance is brilliant. I love the ending, it's soo eerie when his daughter's boyfriend (who's name escaped me, I haven't seen this in a while) is just looking at Lester's head slouched on the table. So weird. And Annette Benning is terrific too. Whoever hasn't seen this yet really should, it's awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MarlandRulez Posted May 2, 2006 Members Share Posted May 2, 2006 can't stand this movie, i find it similar to Crash in the way it cheerleads (no pun intended) its themes to the audience. Its too AWARE of itself if you catch my drift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CausticDrama Posted May 6, 2006 Members Share Posted May 6, 2006 My favorite part of thsi film is what he narrates at the end. It is a beautiful ending, but it is unfortunate that he dies after learning those baeutiful things about his life. Of course the movie would not have been the same without that, but I just keep wondering what he could have done with his life and changed for his kids if he could have lived with all that he learnt from that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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