American Beauty (1999)

Lester Burnham is a middle-aged magazine writer who despises his job. His wife, Carolyn , is an ambitious real-estate broker; their sixteen-year-old daughter, Jane , abhors her parents and has low self-esteem. The Burnhams' new neighbors are retired United States Marine Corps Colonel Frank Fitts and his introverted wife, Barbara ; their teenage son, Ricky , is a marijuana smoker and drug dealer whom the colonel subjects to a strict disciplinarian lifestyle. Ricky records his surroundings with a video camera, and keeps dozens of taped videos in his bedroom. Lester becomes infatuated with Jane's cheerleader friend, Angela Hayes , after seeing her perform a half-time dance routine at a high school basketball game. He begins to have sexual fantasies about Angela, during which red rose petals are a recurring motif. Carolyn begins an affair with a business rival, Buddy Kane . Lester is told he is to be laid off after writing his job description as an insult to the efficiency expert who requested it, but blackmails his boss for $60,000 and quits his job, taking employment serving fast food. He buys his dream car and starts working out after he overhears Angela tell Jane that she would find him sexually attractive if he improved his physique. He begins smoking marijuana bought from Ricky and flirts with Angela whenever she visits Jane. The girls' friendship cools and Jane becomes involved with Ricky; they bond over what Ricky considers the most beautiful imagery he has filmed: a plastic bag dancing in the wind.

Lester discovers Carolyn's infidelity, but reacts indifferently. Buddy cools the affair, saying he is facing a potentially expensive divorce. Col. Fitts becomes suspicious of Lester and Ricky's friendship, and finds his son's footage of Lester lifting weights while nude, which Ricky captured by chance. After watching Ricky and Lester through Lester's garage window, the colonel mistakenly concludes the pair are sexually involved. He later beats Ricky and accuses him of being gay. Ricky falsely admits the charge and goads his father into turning him out of their home. Over Angela's objections, Ricky convinces Jane to flee with him to New York City, after first calling Angela ordinary. Carolyn loads a gun and drives home. Col. Fitts confronts Lester and attempts to kiss him; Lester rebuffs the colonel, who flees. Lester finds a distraught Angela; she asks him to tell her she is beautiful. He does, and she begins to seduce him. After learning that Angela is a virgin, Lester stops; the pair instead bond over their shared frustrations. Angela goes to the bathroom and Lester smiles at a family photograph in his kitchen. A gunshot sounds and blood splatters on the wall. Ricky and Jane find Lester's body. Carolyn is seen crying in the bedroom, and the colonel returns home, bloodied, a gun missing from his collection. Lester's closing narration describes meaningful experiences he's had during his life, and explains that despite his death he is happy, as "it's hard to stay mad when there's so much beauty in the world."