A Painfully Mistaken Perception

American Beauty is a 1999 American black comedy and psychological drama film directed by Sam Mendes in his feature-film directorial debut, and written by Alan Ball. Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, an advertising executive who experiences a midlife crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter’s teenage 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. American Beauty was released by DreamWorks Pictures in North America on September 15, 1999, and was widely released on October 1, receiving widespread critical and popular acclaim. It was the second-best-reviewed American film of the year behind Being John Malkovich and grossed over $350 million worldwide against its $15-million budget, becoming the ninth highest-grossing film of 1999. DreamWorks launched a major campaign to increase American Beauty's chances of Oscar success following its controversial Best Picture snub for Saving Private Ryan (1998) the previous year. At the 72nd Academy Awards, the film won five Oscars, including Best Picture, along with Best Director for Mendes, Best Actor for Spacey, Best Original Screenplay for Ball, and Best Cinematography for Conrad L. Hall. The film was nominated for and won many other awards and honors, mainly for directing, writing, and acting.