American Beauty (1999) is a darkly comedic drama about a suburban family struggling to find meaning in their lives. The film follows Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), a middle-aged man who is struggling to find purpose and joy in his life. He finds himself drawn to his daughter
American Beauty is a 1999 American black comedy and psychological drama film directed by Sam Mendes in his feature directorial debut, and written by Alan Ball. Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, an advertising executive who has a midlife crisis when he becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter's best friend, played by Mena Suvari. Annette Bening stars as Lester's materialistic wife, Carolyn, and Thora Birch plays their insecure daughter, Jane. Wes Bentley, Chris Cooper, Peter Gallagher, and Allison Janney co-star. Academics have described the film as satirizing how beauty and personal satisfaction are perceived by the American middle class; further analysis has focused on the film's explorations of romantic and paternal love, sexuality, materialism, and self-liberation.