American Beauty · written by Alan Ball · 1999

A month later, Carolyn fires at the range and delights in her new power.

Scene 98 of 163 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

Attendant
Carolyn

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:03 into a 1:37 film

The story so farBefore scene 98

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.
Scene 91
Lester's dinner-table outburst shatters the family's performed normality and makes his rebellion public at home.
Just before
Scene 95
Jane watches the beating through the window and closes the drapes.
Scene 96
From Jane's view, the Colonel continues beating Ricky through the window.
Scene 97
Ricky says he entered to show Jane the Colonel’s Nazi plate; the Colonel’s anger gives way to shame and tenderness.
Scene 98
This scene

98INT. INDOOR FIRING RANGE - ONE MONTH LATER

Carolyn, wearing PROTECTIVE HEADGEAR, is holding a GLOCK 19 AUTOMATIC REVOLVER with both hands, FIRING it directly at us. She empties a round and stands there, exhilarated. An ATTENDANT approaches with a new round of ammunition.

ATTENDANT

(loading gun)

I gotta say, Mrs. Burnham, when you

first came here I thought you would

be hopeless. But you're a natural.

CAROLYN

Well, all I know is... I love

shooting this gun!

And she starts FIRING again.