American Beauty
A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.
Directed by Sam Mendes · Drama · 122 min · 1999
Trailer
Director
Sam Mendes
Writer
Alan Ball
Studio
DreamWorks Pictures / Jinks/Cohen Company
Release
01 Oct 1999
Runtime
122 min
Genres
Drama
Full Plot
After his death sometime in his 43rd year, suburbanite Lester Burnham tells of the last few weeks of his life, during which he had no idea of his imminent passing. He is a husband to real estate agent Carolyn Burnham and father to high school student Jane Burnham. Although Lester and Carolyn once loved each other, they now merely tolerate each other. Typical wallflower Jane also hates both her parents; the three suffer individually in silence in their home life. Jane tries to steer clear of both her parents. Carolyn, relatively new to the real estate business, wants to create the persona of success to further her career, aspiring to the professional life of Buddy Kane, the king of the real estate business in their neighborhood. Lester merely walks mindlessly through life, including at his job in advertising. His company is downsizing, and he, like all the other employees, has to justify his position to the newly hired efficiency expert to keep his job. Things change for Lester when he falls in love at first sight with Jane's more experienced classmate, Angela Hayes. Both Janie and Angela can see Lester's sexual infatuation with Angela, who courts such attention from any man as a sign that she is model material, she having once appeared in Seventeen and is a career to which she aspires. Lester's infatuation with Angela gives him a reenergized view on life, where he openly doesn't care anymore what anyone thinks about what he does, anyone except Angela. This infatuation coincides with the Fittses moving in next door: homophobic disciplinarian US Marine Colonel Frank Fitts who rules the house with a military fist (that fist being both figurative and literal), his semi-comatose wife Barbara Fitts, and their bright and quietly subversive 18-year-old son Ricky Fitts, who openly abides by his father's rules while behind the scenes lives by his own quite different perspective. Much like Lester's infatuation, Ricky immediately becomes infatuated with Jane; he considers girls like Angela as ordinary. The entry of Angela and the Fittses into the Burnhams' lives ultimately leads to each of the players confronting what is truly in his or her heart.
Cast & Characters
Lester Burnham
Kevin Spacey
Carolyn Burnham
Annette Bening
Jane Burnham
Thora Birch
Ricky Fitts
Wes Bentley
Angela Hayes
Mena Suvari
Buddy Kane
Peter Gallagher
Col. Frank Fitts
Chris Cooper
Jim Olmeyer
Scott Bakula
Jim Berkley
Sam Robards
Christy Kane
Amber Smith
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $15.0M, American Beauty has grossed $356.3M worldwide — about 23.8x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Kevin Spacey appears in 4 films in our catalog, including Seven, The Usual Suspects.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Alan Ball began writing American Beauty as a play in the early 1990s, partly inspired by the media circus that accompanied the Amy Fisher trial in 1992.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Critical Assessment
American Beauty holds 8.3/10 on IMDb (1,272,515 votes), 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, 84/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 11, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.3/10 on IMDb (1,272,515 votes), 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, 84/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is American Beauty's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
American Beauty holds a 87% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is American Beauty's IMDb rating?+
American Beauty has a 8.3/10 rating on IMDb from 1,272,515 votes.
What is American Beauty's Metacritic score?+
American Beauty has a Metascore of 84/100 on Metacritic.
Is American Beauty good? What are critics saying?+
American Beauty holds 8.3/10 on IMDb (1,272,515 votes), 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, 84/100 on Metacritic.
How long is American Beauty?+
American Beauty has a runtime of 122 min.
Who directed American Beauty?+
American Beauty was directed by Sam Mendes.
Where can I watch American Beauty?+
American Beauty is available to stream, rent, or buy on JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount Plus, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, ITVX Premium, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Basic with Ads, Rakuten TV, Sky Store.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The film American Beauty has been widely praised for its exploration of life's purpose and beauty in small things. Reviewers have noted the movie's ability to balance entertainment with deeper themes. The tone is complex, ranging from appreciation for the film's impact on the reviewer's teen years to mixed reactions upon rewatching it as an adult.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
The film American Beauty to me is a film about purpose. What is your purpose in life? The film teaches that there is such great beauty in the small things in life and that sometimes you need to take a step back to allow yourself to take in the unfiltered beauty in the small thing…
tmdb70752507 · 10/10I first saw this film in my teen years. I didn't understand the plot of the movie back then but found the erotic scenes interesting. I think I was also impressed by Lesters change in attitude back then. Rewatching it in my early thirties the movie really catches me. The story of…
stempst0r · 10/10It was a ok movie. I didn't like Kevin Spacey creeping on a young teenager, but other then that it was a good movie.
Andre Gonzales · 6/10
