American Beauty

American Beauty (1999)

Ending / spoiler

(9 votes)

Col. Frank Fitts spies on Ricky next door with Lester. Ricky rolls a joint while Lester lays back in a chair, but from Frank's point of view, he looks like he is giving Lester a blowjob. When Ricky returns he has an argument with Frank and then leaves. He runs next door to ask Jane to run away with him. Frank goes next door and finds Lester exercising in the garage, he starts crying and kisses Lester, when Lester realises what he is, he tells him that he has the wrong idea. Jane has an argument with Angela, who later gets comforted by Lester. They get more intimate but Angela confesses that she is a virgin, and Lester decides not to have sex with her. Lester looks at an old photo of his family, and smiles. He is then suddenly shot in the head. As a monologue from Lester plays, every character who could've shot him, appeared to be somewhere else when the gunshot was heard. The evidence leads to Frank Fitts who was obviously upset, had blood on his shirt, and was missing a gun from his rack of guns. Lester remembers back to all his favourite moments and quotes, "I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me... but it's hard to stay mad, when there's so much beauty in the world."

Matt Barnes

Visible crew/equipment: After he gets beaten up by his father, Ricky looks in the mirror. On the left edge you can see a bit of the camera, then it moves away. (01:10:10)

More mistakes in American Beauty

Lester: Here I am, jerking off in the shower. This will be the highlight of my day.

More quotes from American Beauty

Trivia: The films enigmatic tagline "Look Closer" can be seen on a card or sticker at Lester's desk. (00:04:36)

More trivia for American Beauty

Question: I was just wondering if anyone knows what Jane and her father Lester were talking about in the first scene Ricky films them in the kitchen. You see their lips move but naturally since he's in a different house there are no words to accompy this. Maybe a lip reader could help?

Answer: I think they were talking about how Jane never tells Lester anything anymore. He says how they used to be pals and Jane starts to say something and then I think they see Ricky move outside.

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