American Beauty · written by Alan Ball · 1999

Angela compliments Lester's muscles and flirts until his direct response makes her retreat.

Scene 121 of 163 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

Lester
Jane
Angela

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:19 into a 1:37 film

The story so farBefore scene 121

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 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
The Colonel mistakes Ricky rolling a joint for oral sex, then sees Jane and Angela arrive.
Scene 121
This scene

121INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER

Lester leans nonchalantly against the counter. Jane and Angela enter. Jane frowns when she sees him.

LESTER

Oh. Hi.

JANE

Where's Mom?

LESTER

Don't know.

ANGELA

Hi, Mr. Burnham.

LESTER

Hi.

He's trying to remain cool, and doing a pretty good job.

ANGELA

Wow. Look at you. Have you been

working out?

LESTER

Some.

Jane rolls her eyes and exits. Angela walks over to Lester.

ANGELA

You can really tell. Look at those

arms.

She places her hand on his arm flirtatiously, looks up at him and smiles, fully expecting to intimidate him by doing so. But something has changed, and he isn't intimidated at all. He looks directly back at her, leans in and smiles slowly.

LESTER

You like muscles?

His voice is low and intense. She moves away, suddenly insecure.

ANGELA

I--I should probably go see what

Jane's up to.

And she heads out quickly. Lester watches her go, baffled.