American Beauty · written by Alan Ball · 1999

Jane and Ricky discuss death and beauty as a funeral procession passes.

Scene 87 of 163 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

Save the Cat: Theme Stated
Jane
Ricky

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 53 min into a 1:37 film

The story so farBefore scene 87

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.
Scene 76
Lester blackmails Brad for severance and quits, committing to a life outside his corporate routine.
Scene 79
Jane asks Ricky to stop filming her, and chooses to walk with him after their earlier school encounter.
Just before
Scene 84
Lester orders fast food and applies for a counter job to avoid responsibility.
Scene 85
A baffled manager doubts Lester can adapt, but Lester points to his past fast-food experience.
Scene 86
Carolyn tells Buddy that their affair relieves her stress; he recommends firing a gun.
Scene 87
This scene

87EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - LATER THAT DAY

Ricky and Jane walk along without speaking. He seems comfortable with the silence; she doesn't. After a beat:

JANE

So how do you like your new house?

RICKY

I like it.

A beat.

JANE

The people who used to live there

fed these stray cats, so they were

always around, and it drove my

mother nuts. And then she cut down

their tree.

An automobile FUNERAL PROCESSION appears and begins to pass them slowly.

RICKY

Have you ever known anybody who

died?

JANE

No.

(a beat)

Have you?

RICKY

No, but I did see this homeless

woman who froze to death once. Just

laying there on the sidewalk. She

looked really sad.

They watch the FUNERAL CARS pass.

RICKY (CONT'D)

I got that homeless woman on video.

JANE

Why would you film that?

RICKY

Because it was amazing.

JANE

What was amazing about it?

A beat.

RICKY

When you see something like that,

it's like God is looking right at

you, just for a second. And if

you're careful, you can look right

back.

JANE

And what do you see?

RICKY

Beauty.