Editing American Beauty (1999 film) (section)

===Development===
Alan Ball began writing ''American Beauty'' as a play in the early 1990s, partly inspired by the media circus that accompanied the [[Amy Fisher]] trial in 1992.<ref name="kazan 25" />  He shelved the play after deciding that the story would not work on stage. After spending the next few years writing for television, Ball revived the idea in 1997 when attempting to break into the film industry after several frustrating years writing for the television sitcoms ''[[Grace Under Fire]]'' and ''[[Cybill]]''. He joined the [[United Talent Agency]], where his representative, Andrew Cannava, suggested he write a [[spec script]] to "reintroduce [himself] to the town as a screenwriter". Ball pitched three ideas to Cannava: two conventional romantic comedies and ''American Beauty.''{{refn|At that point called ''American Rose''.<ref name="fanshawe" />|group="nb"}}<ref name="cohen 07-03">{{cite magazine|last=Cohen |first=David S. |date=March 7, 2000 |title=Scripter Ball hits a home run |magazine=Variety}}</ref> Despite the story's lack of an easily marketable concept, Cannava selected ''American Beauty'' because he felt it was the one for which Ball had the most passion.<ref name="chumo 26">{{harvnb|Chumo II|2000|p=26}}</ref> While developing the script, Ball created another television sitcom, ''[[Oh, Grow Up]]''. He channeled his anger and frustration at having to accede to network demands on that show—and during his tenures on ''Grace Under Fire'' and ''Cybill''—into writing ''American Beauty''.<ref name="cohen 07-03" />

Ball did not expect to sell the script, believing it would act as more of a calling card, but ''American Beauty'' drew interest from several production bodies.<ref name="chumo 27" /> Cannava passed the script to several producers, including [[Dan Jinks]] and [[Bruce Cohen]], who took it to [[DreamWorks Pictures|DreamWorks]].<ref>{{harvnb|Kazan|2000|p=28}}</ref> With the help of executives Glenn Williamson and Bob Cooper, and [[Steven Spielberg]] in his capacity as studio partner, Ball was convinced to develop the project at DreamWorks;<ref name="kazan 28-29">{{harvnb|Kazan|2000|pages=28–29}}</ref> he received assurances from the studio—known at the time for its more conventional fare—that it would not "iron the [edges] out".{{refn|Ball said he decided on DreamWorks after an accidental meeting with Spielberg in the [[Amblin Entertainment]] parking lot, where the writer became confident that Spielberg "got" the script and its intended tone.<ref name="kazan 28-29" />|group="nb"}}<ref name="chumo 27">{{harvnb|Chumo II|2000|p=27}}</ref> In an unusual move, DreamWorks decided not to [[option (filmmaking)|option]] the script;<ref>{{harvnb|Kazan|2000|p=30}}</ref> instead, in April 1998, the studio bought it outright<ref name="grateful">{{cite magazine|date=April 14, 1998 |title=DreamWorks grateful for 'American Beauty' |magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> for $250,000,<ref name="weinraub" /> outbidding [[Fox Searchlight Pictures]], [[October Films]], [[The Samuel Goldwyn Company]], and [[Lakeshore Entertainment]].<ref name="courts">{{cite magazine|last=Cox |first=Dan |date=April 14, 1998 |title=D'Works courts 'Beauty' spec |magazine=Variety |url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/d-works-courts-beauty-spec-1117469721/ |access-date=May 15, 2023}}</ref> DreamWorks planned to make the film for $6–8&nbsp;million.<ref name="lowenstein 251">{{Harvnb|Lowenstein|2008|p=251}}</ref>

Jinks and Cohen involved Ball throughout the film's development, including casting and director selection. The producers met with about twenty interested directors,<ref name="kazan 31">{{harvnb|Kazan|2000|page=31}}</ref> several of whom were considered [[A-list]] at the time. Ball was not keen on the more well-known directors because he believed their involvement would increase the budget and lead DreamWorks to become "nervous about the content".<ref name="chumo 28" /> Nevertheless, DreamWorks offered the film to [[Mike Nichols]] and [[Robert Zemeckis]]; neither accepted.<ref name="lowenstein 251" /> In the same year, Sam Mendes (then a theater director) revived the musical ''[[Cabaret (musical)|Cabaret]]'' in New York with fellow director [[Rob Marshall]]. Beth Swofford of the [[Creative Artists Agency]] arranged meetings for Mendes with studio figures in Los Angeles to see if film direction was a possibility.{{refn|Mendes had considered the idea before; he almost took on ''[[The Wings of the Dove (1997 film)|The Wings of the Dove]]''&nbsp;(1997) and had previously failed to secure financing for an adaptation of the play ''[[The Rise and Fall of Little Voice]]'', which he directed in 1992. The play made it to the screen in 1998 as ''[[Little Voice (film)|Little Voice]]'', without Mendes's involvement.<ref name="lowenstein 248">{{harvnb|Lowenstein|2008|p=248}}</ref>|group="nb"}} Mendes came across ''American Beauty'' in a pile of eight scripts at Swofford's house,<ref name="lowenstein 249">{{Harvnb|Lowenstein|2008|p=249}}</ref> and knew immediately that it was the one he wanted to make; early in his career, he had been inspired by how the film ''[[Paris, Texas (film)|Paris, Texas]]''&nbsp;(1984) presented contemporary America as a mythic landscape and he saw the same theme in ''American Beauty'', as well as parallels with his own childhood.<ref name="lowenstein 250-251">{{harvnb|Lowenstein|2008|pp=250–251}}</ref> Mendes later met with Spielberg; impressed by Mendes's productions of ''[[Oliver!]]'' and ''Cabaret'',<ref name="fanshawe">{{cite news|last=Fanshawe |first=Simon |date=January 22, 2000 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/jan/22/features.weekend |title=Sam smiles |work=[[The Guardian]]  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223154959/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/jan/22/features.weekend |archive-date=December 23, 2016 |url-status=live |page=32}}</ref> Spielberg encouraged him to consider ''American Beauty''.<ref name="lowenstein 251" />

Mendes found that he still had to convince DreamWorks's production executives to let him direct.<ref name="lowenstein 251" /> He had already discussed the film with Jinks and Cohen, and felt they supported him.<ref name="lowenstein 252">{{Harvnb|Lowenstein|2008|p=252}}</ref> Ball was also keen; having seen ''Cabaret'', he was impressed with Mendes's "keen visual sense" and thought he did not make obvious choices. Ball felt that Mendes liked to look under the story's surface, a talent he felt would be a good fit with the themes of ''American Beauty''.<ref name="chumo 28" /> Mendes's background also reassured him, because of the prominent role the playwright usually has in a theater production.<ref name="kazan 31" /> Over two meetings—the first with Cooper, [[Walter Parkes]], and [[Laurie MacDonald]],<ref name="lowenstein 252" /> the second with Cooper alone<ref name="lowenstein 253" />—Mendes [[pitch (filmmaking)|pitched]] himself to the studio.<ref name="lowenstein 252" /> The studio soon approached Mendes with a deal to direct for the minimum salary allowed under [[Directors Guild of America]] rules—$150,000. Mendes accepted, and later recalled that after taxes and his agent's commission, he only earned $38,000.<ref name="lowenstein 253">{{Harvnb|Lowenstein|2008|p=253}}</ref> In June 1998, DreamWorks confirmed that it had contracted Mendes to direct the film.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Hindes |first=Andrew |date=June 16, 1998 |title=Staging a transfer |magazine=Variety |url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/staging-a-transfer-1117471883/ |access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>