American Beauty · written by Alan Ball · 1999

Ricky's plastic-bag video plays while Lester says the world's beauty fills him with gratitude.

Scene 162 of 163 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act three

Lester

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:36 into a 1:37 film

The story so farBefore scene 162

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.
Scenes 103–128
Jane and Ricky's plans, the Colonel's expulsion of Ricky and Carolyn's gun bring serious costs to the upheaval.
Scenes 129–146
As the conflicts converge at home, Lester returns to human connection by treating Angela with tenderness.
Just before
Scene 159
Four-year-old Jane smiles with a sparkler in her Halloween princess costume.
Scene 160
Carolyn hides the Glock, then clutches Lester's clothes and cries on the bedroom floor.
Scene 161
Young Carolyn laughs on a spinning teacup ride as Lester remembers her with love.
Scene 162
This scene

162EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY

On VIDEO: We're watching the video Ricky showed Jane earlier, of the empty white PLASTIC BAG being blown about. The wind carries it in a circle around us, sometimes whipping it about violently, or, without warning, sending it soaring skyward, then letting it float gracefully down to the ground...

LESTER (V.O.)

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. Sometimes I feel like I'm

seeing it all at once, and it's too

much, my heart fills up like a

balloon that's about to burst...