American Beauty · written by Alan Ball · 1999

Ricky takes Jane into the Colonel's study and shows her the hidden Nazi plate.

Scene 89 of 163 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

Ricky
Jane

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 55 min into a 1:37 film

The story so farBefore scene 89

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 86
Carolyn tells Buddy that their affair relieves her stress; he recommends firing a gun.
Scene 87
Jane and Ricky discuss death and beauty as a funeral procession passes.
Scene 88
Jane meets Barbara, who apologizes for the spotless kitchen.
Scene 89
This scene

89INT. FITTS HOUSE - THE COLONEL'S STUDY - MOMENTS LATER

We HEAR KEYS TURNING in the lock, then the door opens and Ricky enters, holding a RING OF KEYS, followed by Jane.

RICKY

This is where my dad hides out.

GLASS CASES filled with GUNS line the walls.

JANE

I take it he's got a thing for

guns.

Ricky crosses to a built-in CABINET behind the desk.

RICKY

You got to see this one thing...

He unlocks the cabinet and opens it, revealing shelves stacked with WAR MEMORABILIA.

RICKY (CONT'D)

My dad would kill me if he knew I

was in here.

JANE

Did you steal his keys?

RICKY

No. One of my clients is a

locksmith. He was short on cash one

night, so I let him pay me in

trade.

He reaches into the cabinet and carefully removes an oval CHINA PLATTER, which he hands to Jane. She examines it.

RICKY (CONT'D)

Turn it over.

CLOSE on the bottom of the plate: A small SWASTIKA is imprinted in the center.

JANE

Oh my God.

RICKY

It's like official state china of

the Third Reich. There's a whole

subculture of people who collect

this Nazi shit. But my dad just has

this one thing.

He puts the platter back into the cabinet and shuts the door, then notices Jane looking at him oddly.

RICKY (CONT'D)

What's wrong?

JANE

Nothing.

RICKY

(concerned)

No, you're scared of me.

JANE

No I'm not.