American Beauty Page #2

Synopsis: Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is a gainfully employed suburban husband and father. Fed up with his boring, stagnant existence, he quits his job and decides to reinvent himself as a pot-smoking, responsibility-shirking teenager. What follows is at once cynical, hysterical, and, eventually, tragically uplifting.
Genre: Drama
Director(s): Sam Mendes
Production: Dream Works
  Won 5 Oscars. Another 104 wins & 100 nominations.
 
IMDB:
8.4
Metacritic:
86
Rotten Tomatoes:
88%
R
Year:
1999
122 min
Website
3,783 Views


INT. OFFICE BUILDING - DAY

Lester sits at his workstation, a BEIGE CUBICLE surrounded

by IDENTICAL BEIGE CUBICLES. He's staring at a computer

monitor and talking on a HEADSET PHONE. The beleaguered

expression on his face is at odds with the light, friendly

tone of his voice.

LESTER:

Hello, this is Lester Burnham from

Media Monthly magazine, I'm calling

for Mr. Tamblin, please?... Well,

we're all under a deadline here, uh,

but you see, there is some basic

information about the product launch

that isn't even covered in your press

release and I... Yeah. Can I ask you

a question? Who is Tamblin? Does he

exist? 'Cause he doesn't ever seem

to come in... Yeah, okay, I'll leave

my number...

BRAD, a dapper man in his thirties, approaches and observes

Lester, who is unaware of his presence.

LESTER:

It's 555 0199. Lester Burnham. Thank

you!

Lester disconnects the call, obviously irritated.

BRAD:

Hey Les. You got a minute?

Lester turns around, smiling perfunctorily.

LESTER:

For you, Brad? I've got five.

INT. BRAD'S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER

Brad is seated behind his desk in his big corner office.

BRAD:

I'm sure you can understand our need

to cut corners around here.

Lester sits across from him, looking small and isolated.

LESTER:

Oh, sure. Times are tight, and you

gotta free up cash. Gotta spend money

to make money. Right?

BRAD:

Exactly. So...

Brad stands, ready to usher Lester out.

LESTER:

(blurts)

Like the time when Mr. Flournoy used

the company MasterCard to pay for

that hooker, and then she used the

card numbers and stayed at the St.

Regis for, what was it, like, three

months?

BRAD:

(startled)

That's unsubstantiated gossip.

LESTER:

That's fifty thousand dollars. That's

somebody's salary. That's somebody

who's gonna get fired because Craig

has to pay women to f*** him!

BRAD:

Jesus. Calm down. Nobody's getting

fired yet. That's why we're having

everyone write out a job description,

mapping out in detail how they

contribute. That way, management can

assess who's valuable and--

LESTER:

Who's expendable.

BRAD:

It's just business.

LESTER:

(angry)

I've been writing for this magazine

for fourteen years, Brad. You've

been here how long, a whole month?

BRAD:

(frank)

I'm one of the good guys, Les. I'm

trying to level with you. This is

your one chance to save your job.

Lester stares at him, powerless.

EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - LATE AFTERNOON

A MOVING VAN is parked in front of the COLONIAL HOUSE next

door to the Burnhams'. Movers carry furniture toward the

house.

The Mercedes-Benz pulls into the Burnham driveway. Carolyn

drives, Lester is in the passenger seat.

Rate this script:3.7 / 3 votes

Alan Ball

Alan Erwin Ball (born May 13, 1957)[1] is an American writer, director, and producer for television, film, and theatre. more…

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