American Beauty · written by Alan Ball · 1999

Ricky joins the Colonel and Barbara at breakfast; Barbara forgets Ricky does not eat bacon, and a doorbell interrupts them.

Scene 41 of 163 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act one

Ricky
Barbara
Colonel

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 22 min into a 1:37 film

The story so farBefore scene 41

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.
Just before
Scene 38
Angela teases Jane by phone about Lester's call; Jane discovers her open address book.
Scene 39
Ricky films Jane through her window as his mother calls him to breakfast.
Scene 40
Ricky answers his mother without looking away from Jane.
Scene 41
This scene

41INT. FITTS HOUSE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER

BARBARA FITTS stands at the stove, flipping bacon strips mechanically, her eyes focused elsewhere. At least ten years younger than her husband, she's pretty in a June Cleaver-ish way. The Colonel sits at a dinette reading The Wall Street Journal. Ricky enters.

RICKY

Mom.

Startled, Barbara turns to him.

BARBARA

Hello.

As she attempts to serve him bacon:

RICKY

I don't eat bacon, remember?

BARBARA

(unnerved)

I'm sorry, I must have forgotten.

Ricky serves himself scrambled eggs from another pan, then joins his father at the table.

RICKY

What's new in the world, Dad?

COLONEL

This country is going straight to

hell.

A DOORBELL rings. The Colonel and Barbara look at each other, alarmed.

COLONEL (CONT'D)

Are you expecting anyone?

BARBARA

No.

(thinks)

No.

The Colonel heads toward the living room, a little puffed up.