Act Out: American Beauty

BY: PROVOKR Staff

The multiple-Oscar winning 1999 drama American Beauty is a tale of midlife angst. Written by Alan Ball, the film follows Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey, who nabbed a Best Actor Oscar), a 42-year-old suburban dad who—left unsatisfied by his sexless marriage to his shallow wife Carolyn (Annette Bening)—becomes erotically infatuated with his teenage daughter’s extremely coquettish best friend, Angela (Mena Suvari). In the following scenes, the sexual tension that’s been building between Lester and Angela finally comes to a head, but with unexpected results.

INT. BURNHAM HOUSE – KITCHEN 

Lester enters, opens the refrigerator and grabs a BEER. Suddenly we HEAR MUSIC coming from the other room. Lester opens his beer and starts toward the family room.

INT. BURNHAM HOUSE – FAMILY ROOM – CONTINUOUS

His POV: AS we MOVE SLOWLY around a corner, Angela comes into view, standing at the STEREO, holding a CD case. She’s been crying; her face is puffy, and her hair mussed. She regards us apprehensively… then puts on a slightly defiant smile.

ANGELA
I hope you don’t mind if I play the stereo.

Lester leans against the wall and takes a swig of his beer.

LESTER
Not at all.
(then)
Bad night?

ANGELA
Not really bad, just… strange.

LESTER
(grins)
Believe me. It couldn’t possibly be any stranger than mine.

She smiles. They stand there in silence; the atmosphere is charged.

ANGELA
Jane and I had a fight.
(after a beat)
It was about you.

She’s trying to be seductive as she says this, but she’s pretty bad at it. Lester raises his eyebrows.

ANGELA (CONT’D)
She’s mad at me because I said I think you’re sexy.

Lester grins. He is sexy.

LESTER
(offering beer)
Do you want a sip?

She nods. Lester holds the bottle up to her mouth and she drinks clumsily. He gently wipes her chin with the back of his hand.

LESTER (CONT’D)
So… are you going to tell me? What you want?

ANGELA
I don’t know.

LESTER
You don’t know?

His face is very close to hers. She’s unnerved–this is happening too fast…

ANGELA
What do you want?

LESTER
Are you kidding? I want you. I’ve wanted you since the first moment I saw you. You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

Angela takes a deep breath just before Lester leans in to kiss her cheek, her forehead, her eyelids, her neck…

ANGELA
You don’t think I’m ordinary?

LESTER
You couldn’t be ordinary if you tried.

ANGELA
Thank you.
(far away)
I don’t think there’s anything worse than being ordinary…

And Lester kisses her on the lips.

INT. BURNHAM HOUSE – FAMILY ROOM – MOMENTS LATER

Angela lays back on the couch as Lester moves in over her. He pulls her jeans off and gently brushes his fingers over her legs, then moves up and caresses her face…

INT. BURNHAM HOUSE – FAMILY ROOM – CONTINUOUS

Lester starts unbuttoning Angela’s blouse. She seems disconnected from what’s happening. Lester pulls her blouse open, exposing her breasts.

Lester looks down at her, grinning, unable to believe he’s actually about to do what he’s dreamed of so many times, and then…

ANGELA
This is my first time.

Lester LAUGHS.

LESTER
You’re kidding.

ANGELA
(a whisper)
I’m sorry.

A beat. Lester looks down at her, his grin fading.

His POV: Angela lies beneath us, embarrassed and vulnerable. This is not the mythically carnal creature of Lester’s fantasies; this is a nervous child.

ANGELA (CONT’D)
I still want to do it… I just thought I should tell you… in case you wondered why I wasn’t… better.

Lester’s face falls. There’s no way he’s going to go through with this now.

ANGELA (CONT’D)
(confused)
What’s wrong? I thought you said I was beautiful.

LESTER
(tenderly)
You are beautiful.

He grabs a blanket from the back of the couch and drapes it around her shoulders, covering her nakedness.

LESTER (CONT’D)
You are so beautiful… and I would be a very lucky man…

He smiles and shakes his head. Humiliated, Angela starts to cry.

ANGELA
I feel so stupid.

LESTER
Don’t.

He hugs her, letting her put her head on his shoulder, stroking her hair and rocking her gently.

ANGELA
I’m sorry.

Lester takes her by the shoulders and looks at her, serious.

LESTER
You have nothing to be sorry about.

But she keeps crying. Lester hugs her again. We HEAR a loud CLAP of THUNDER outside.

LESTER (CONT’D)
(smiles)
It’s okay. Everything’s okay.