Arnold Schwarzenegger signed on to make the film before he made Last Action Hero (1993). The reason for the delay was that James Cameron was busy writing Strange Days (1995) for his ex-wife, Kathryn Bigelow.
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
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Fan of American Beauty or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to American Beauty
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In the scene when Carolyn told Lester that she was ready to go while he was smoking pot with Ricky outside the restaurant, Kevin Spacey could not control his laughing and Wes Bentley can be seen laughing too, as this was not scripted.
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Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening and Conrad L. Hall worked for significantly less than their usual rates.
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During the film, Lester's physique improves from flabby to toned. Kevin Spacey worked out during filming to improve his body, but because Sam Mendes shot the scenes out of chronological order, Spacey varied postures to portray the stages.
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When Lester masturbates in bed beside Carolyn, Sam Mendes asked Kevin Spacey to improvise several euphemisms for the act in each take. Mendes said, "I wanted that not just because it was funny [...] but because I didn't want it to seem rehearsed. I wanted it to seem like he was blurting it out of his mouth without thinking. [Spacey] is so in control-I wanted him to break through." Spacey obliged, eventually coming up with 35 phrases, but Annette Bening could not always keep a straight face, which meant the scene had to be shot ten times.
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Kevin Spacey and Peter Gallagher previously appeared in Long Day's Journey Into Night (1987) and The Murder of Mary Phagan (1988), and such fact makes their first scene in this movie kind of funny when Spacey's character says to a clueless Gallagher "We've met before".
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Screenwriter Alan Ball originally intended to write a script about Amy Fisher, the "Long Island Lolita" who shot lover Joey Buttafuoco's wife Mary Jo Buttafuoco in 1992, but each successive draft of the script drifted farther away from that story, until it essentially disappeared.
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To prepare Wes Bentley for the role of Ricky, director Sam Mendes provided him with a video camera, telling the actor to film what Ricky would.
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Thora Birch's 1st nude scene.
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Conrad L. Hall was involved for one month during pre-production. His ideas for lighting the film began with his first reading of the script, and further passes allowed him to refine his approach before meeting Sam Mendes. Hall was initially concerned that audiences would not like the characters; he only felt able to identify with them during cast rehearsals, which gave him fresh ideas on his approach to the visuals.
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The helicopter shot at the beginning of the movie was originally for a flying sequence where Lester floats over the houses and then down onto his bed.
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Majandra Delfino and Kate Hudson auditioned for the role of Angela.
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This film marked the first Best Picture Oscar victory for a DreamWorks (SKG) production. Saving Private Ryan (1998) was the first film released by DreamWorks to be nominated for that category.
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Wes Bentley smoked honey tobacco with Kevin Spacey for the pot-smoking scenes.
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Thora Birch did the topless scene herself without the use of a body double or computer graphics.
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The contrast of something red on a white background is used throughout the film. Examples of this include: red rose petals in a white bath tub and a white ceiling, blood on a white shirt and white floor, the red car in front of the white garage door, the red front door surrounded by white frame and walls.
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When Lester throws the asparagus, he was supposed to throw it on the floor. The reactions of Annette Bening and Thora Birch are genuine.
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Terry Gilliam turned down the chance to direct the film.
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Marissa Jarrett Winkour's role in this film brought her to the attention of producers who cast her as Tracy Turnblad in the musical Hairspray.
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In one of many references to Lolita (1962), "Lester Burnham" is an anagram for "Humbert learns."
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
American Beauty - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
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