American Beauty · written by Alan Ball · 1999

The Colonel mistakes Ricky rolling a joint for oral sex, then sees Jane and Angela arrive.

Scene 120 of 163 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:19 into a 1:37 film

The story so farBefore scene 120

After becoming infatuated with his teenage daughter’s friend, a dissatisfied suburban father quits his job and pursues a more vivid life, unsettling his family and drawing him into the orbit of a troubled teenage neighbor.

Scenes 1–13
Lester is trapped in a suburban routine of corporate work and a marriage performed for appearances.
Scenes 14–31
Family estrangement and his attraction to Angela expose how urgently Lester wants to feel alive.
Scenes 32–75
Lester follows the desire into risky fantasy, exercise and open defiance of Carolyn.
Scenes 76–90
Lester quits and takes a fast-food job while Jane and Ricky begin connecting in parallel.
Scenes 91–102
Lester wins control of his daily life and openly rejects the family's old rules.
Just before
Scene 117
Angela needles Jane about her sex life as they drive through the rain.
Scene 118
The Colonel sees Lester pass Ricky cash through the garage window and misreads the scene as sexual intimacy.
Scene 119
Lester pays Ricky for marijuana and teases him as Ricky rolls a joint in the garage.
Scene 120
This scene

120INT. FITTS HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

The Colonel's POV: Lester leans back in his chair. We see only Ricky's back and shoulders as he rolls the joint. After a beat, Lester's jaw drops, then he throws his head back. From our perspective, it looks very much like Ricky is giving Lester a blow job.

The Colonel watches, incredulous. Then we HEAR a CAR APPROACHING, and the Colonel glances over at:

His POV: Angela's BMW pulls into the driveway, stopping behind Lester's Firebird. As Angela and Jane get out and run toward the house, our focus MOVES back to the GARAGE WINDOW. Ricky stands, looking a little panicked. Lester pulls on his T-shirt, and both he and Ricky cross out of view.