American Beauty · written by Alan Ball · 1999

Carolyn sings in her Mercedes and admires the Glock on the passenger seat.

Scene 99 of 163 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:04 into a 1:37 film

The story so farBefore scene 99

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 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
A month later, Carolyn fires at the range and delights in her new power.
Scene 99
This scene

99INT. MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 - LATER

Bobby Darin sings "DON'T RAIN ON MY PARADE" on the RADIO. Carolyn SINGS along as she drives. Her face has lost its usual resolute determination; she's actually enjoying herself spontaneously, and the lack of her usual self-consciousness allows us to see just how beautiful she is.

ANGLE ON the GLOCK 19 sitting on the passenger seat amidst some CDs. Carolyn takes the gun and holds it at arm's length, admiring it as she continues to SING.