Editing American Beauty (1999 film) (section)

===Casting===
[[File:Principal cast of American Beauty.jpg|275px|thumb|alt=Seven head-and-shoulder shots, arranged in two rows with four on the top, three on the bottom. Top row: a middle-aged, lightly balding, smiling man in a suit; a middle-aged woman with short, spiky, highlighted hair and a tailored jacket smiles with her eyes closed; a smiling young woman with tied-back hair and a v-necked top; a young woman with shoulder-length fringed-bob hair wears a sleeveless sundress. Bottom row, left to right: a middle-aged man with thick hair; a young man, posed in front of a taxi, wearing a bodywarmer; a middle-aged woman wearing a sleeveless halter neck dress gives a large smile.|The principal actors and actresses<br />''First row'': Wes Bentley, Chris Cooper, Mena Suvari, Kevin Spacey<br />''Second row'': Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Allison Janney]]
Mendes had Kevin Spacey and Bening in mind for the leads from the beginning, but DreamWorks executives were unenthusiastic. DreamWorks suggested several alternatives, including [[Bruce Willis]], [[Kevin Costner]], and [[John Travolta]] to play Lester (the role was also offered to [[Chevy Chase]], but he turned it down),<ref>{{Cite news |last=Evans |first=Bradford |work=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]] |date=September 22, 2011 |title=The Lost Roles of Chevy Chase |url=https://www.vulture.com/2011/09/the-lost-roles-of-chevy-chase.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608015626/https://www.vulture.com/2011/09/the-lost-roles-of-chevy-chase.html |archive-date=June 8, 2020 |access-date=May 9, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Chevy Chase: 'I Wasn't Cut Out To Be a Romantic Leading Man'  |date=September 17, 2009 |url=https://parade.com/40203/jeannewolf/chevy-chase-community/ |magazine=[[Parade (magazine)|Parade]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230105061818/https://parade.com/40203/jeannewolf/chevy-chase-community/ |archive-date=January 5, 2023 |access-date=January 5, 2023}}</ref> while [[Helen Hunt]] or [[Holly Hunter]] were proposed to play Carolyn. Mendes did not want a big star "weighing the film down"; he felt Spacey was the right choice based on his performances in the 1995 films ''[[The Usual Suspects]]'' and ''[[Seven (1995 film)|Seven]]'', and 1992's ''[[Glengarry Glen Ross (film)|Glengarry Glen Ross]]''.<ref name="lowenstein 253–254">{{Harvnb|Lowenstein|2008|pp=253–254}}</ref> Spacey was surprised; he said, "I usually play characters who are very quick, very manipulative and smart. ... I usually wade in dark, sort of treacherous waters. This is a man living one step at a time, playing by his instincts. This is actually much closer to me, to what I am, than those other parts."<ref name="weinraub" /> Mendes offered Annette Bening the role of Carolyn without DreamWorks' consent; although executives were upset at Mendes,<ref name="lowenstein 253–254" /> by September 1998, DreamWorks had entered negotiations with Spacey and Bening.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Fleming |first=Michael |date=September 15, 1998 |title=Spacey nears 'Beauty' deal |magazine=Variety |url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/spacey-nears-beauty-deal-1117480399/ |access-date=May 15, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Fleming |first=Michael |date=September 23, 1998 |title=Bening in 'Beauty' |magazine=Variety |url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/bening-in-beauty-1117480690/ |access-date=May 15, 2023}}</ref>

Spacey loosely based Lester's early "schlubby" deportment on [[Walter Matthau]].<ref name="chapter 2">{{harvnb|Mendes|Ball|2000|loc=chapter 2}}</ref> During the film, Lester's physique improves from flabby to toned;<ref name="gordinier" /> Spacey worked out during filming to improve his body,<ref name="chapter 22">{{harvnb|Mendes|Ball|2000|loc=chapter 22}}</ref> but because Mendes shot the scenes out of chronological order, Spacey varied postures to portray the stages.<ref name="gordinier">Gordinier, Jeff (March 1, 2000). "Kevin Spacey&nbsp;– American Beauty". ''Entertainment Weekly'' (529).</ref> Before filming, Mendes and Spacey analyzed [[Jack Lemmon]]'s performance in ''[[The Apartment]]''&nbsp;(1960), because Mendes wanted Spacey to emulate "the way [Lemmon] moved, the way he looked, the way he was in that office and the way he was an ordinary man and yet a special man".<ref name="weinraub" /> Spacey's voiceover is a throwback to ''[[Sunset Boulevard (film)|Sunset Boulevard]]''&nbsp;(1950), which is also narrated in retrospect by a dead character. Mendes felt it evoked Lester's—and the film's—loneliness.<ref name="chapter 1">{{harvnb|Mendes|Ball|2000|loc=chapter 1}}</ref> Bening recalled women from her youth to inform her performance: "I used to babysit constantly. You'd go to church and see how people present themselves on the outside, and then be inside their house and see the difference." Bening and a hair stylist collaborated to create a "[[Parent-Teacher Association|PTA]] president coif" hairstyle, and Mendes and production designer [[Naomi Shohan]] researched mail-order catalogs to better establish Carolyn's environment of a "spotless suburban manor".<ref name="gordinier 2" /> To help Bening get into Carolyn's mindset, Mendes gave her music that he believed Carolyn would like.<ref name="lowenstein 257-258">{{harvnb|Lowenstein|2008|pp=257–258}}</ref> He lent Bening the [[Bobby Darin]] version of the song "[[Don't Rain on My Parade]]", which she enjoyed and persuaded the director to include it for a scene in which Carolyn sings in her car.<ref name="gordinier 2">Gordinier, Jeff (March 1, 2000). "Annette Bening&nbsp;– American Beauty". ''Entertainment Weekly'' (529).</ref>

[[Kirsten Dunst]] was offered the role of Angela Hayes, but she turned it down because of the character and Lester's sexual behaviors.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 30, 2002 |title=Kiss and tell from Kirsten Dunst |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/09/29/1033283387230.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105163858/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/09/29/1033283387230.html |archive-date=November 5, 2012 |access-date=July 28, 2021 |website=The Age}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=April 14, 2000 |title=Kirsten Dunst Keeps Her Clothes on |url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/kirsten-dunst-keeps-39378/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230105233540/https://www.tvguide.com/news/kirsten-dunst-keeps-39378/ |archive-date=January 5, 2023 |access-date=January 5, 2023 |website=[[TV Guide]]}}</ref> [[Sarah Michelle Gellar]] also declined the same role, due to scheduling conflicts with ''[[Buffy The Vampire Slayer]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jan/30/sarah-michelle-gellar-interview-wolf-pack-buffy|title='A lot of the demons seem a little cheesy now': Sarah Michelle Gellar on Buffy, her burnout and her comeback|first=Elle|last=Hunt|date=January 30, 2023|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref>

For the roles of Jane, Ricky, and Angela, DreamWorks gave Mendes ''carte blanche''.<ref name="lowenstein 257">{{harvnb|Lowenstein|2008|p=257}}</ref> By November 1998, [[Thora Birch]], [[Wes Bentley]], and [[Mena Suvari]] had been cast in the parts<ref name="beloved">{{cite magazine|last=Honeycutt |first=Kirk |date=November 6, 1998 |title='Beloved' actor sees 'Beauty' |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref>—in Birch's case, despite the fact she was 16 years old and was deemed [[underage]] for a brief nude scene, which her parents had to approve. Child labor representatives accompanied Birch's parents on set during the filming of the nude scene.<ref name="EbertAnswerMan">{{Cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |title=Movie Answer Man |date=October 10, 1999 |work=Chicago Sun-Times |url=https://rogerebert.com/answer-man/movie-answer-man-10101999 |url-status=live |access-date=February 3, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602233632/http://www.rogerebert.com/answer-man/movie-answer-man-10101999 |archive-date=June 2, 2013 |quote=It is not illegal to have people under 18 nude or partially nude on film. The California Child Labor Board approved the scene, and its representative was on the set when it was filmed, as were Thora's parents.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.deseret.com/2007/3/2/20004949/there-s-a-reason-for-r-rating |title=There's a reason for R rating |date=March 1, 2007 |work=[[Deseret News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304024012/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/660199860/Theres-a-reason-for-R-rating.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> Bentley overcame competition from top actors under the age of 25 to be cast.<ref name="beloved" /> The 2009 documentary ''[[My Big Break]]'' followed Bentley, and several other young actors, before and after he landed the part.<ref>{{cite news|last=Verniere |first=James |date=September 18, 2009 |title=Hub Film Fest: It's Reel Time |work=[[Boston Herald]] |page=E20}}</ref> To prepare, Mendes provided Bentley with a video camera, telling the actor to film what Ricky would.<ref name="lowenstein 257-258" /> [[Peter Gallagher]] and [[Allison Janney]] were cast (as Buddy Kane and Barbara Fitts) after filming began in December 1998.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Galloway |first=Stephen |date=December 23, 1998 |title=Gallagher role: thing of 'Beauty' |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Harris |first=Dana |date=December 28, 1998 |title=Allison Janney set for 'Nurse,' 'Beauty' |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> Mendes gave Janney a book of paintings by [[Edvard Munch]]. He told her, "Your character is in there somewhere."<ref name="lowenstein 257-258" /> Mendes cut much of Barbara's dialogue,<ref>{{harvnb|Mendes|Ball|2000|loc=chapter 16}}</ref> including conversations between Colonel Frank Fitts and her, as he felt that what needed to be said about the pair—their humanity and vulnerability—was conveyed successfully through their shared moments of silence.<ref>{{harvnb|Mendes|Ball|2000|loc=chapter 6}}</ref> [[Chris Cooper]] plays Colonel Frank Fitts, [[Scott Bakula]] plays Jim Olmeyer, and [[Sam Robards]] plays Jim Berkley.<ref name="jackson" /> Jim and Jim were deliberately depicted as the most normal, happy—and boring—couple in the film.<ref name="ball">{{cite magazine|last=Ball |first=Alan |date=March 28, 2000 |title=''Beauty'' and the Box Office |magazine=[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]] |page=11 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oWMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA11 |access-date=May 15, 2023}}</ref> Ball's inspiration for the characters came from a thought he had after seeing a "bland, boring, heterosexual couple" who wore matching clothes: "I can't wait for the time when a gay couple can be just as boring." Ball also included aspects of a gay couple he knew who had the same forename.<ref name="kilday" />

Mendes insisted on two weeks of cast rehearsals, although the sessions were not as formal as he was used to in the theater, and the actors could not be present at every one.<ref name="lowenstein 257-258" /> Several improvisations and suggestions by the actors were incorporated into the script.<ref name="chumo 28" /> An early scene showing the Burnhams leaving home for work was inserted later on to show the low point that Carolyn and Lester's relationship had reached.<ref name="chapter 1" /> Spacey and Bening worked to create a sense of the love that Lester and Carolyn once had for one another; for example, the scene in which Lester almost seduces Carolyn after the pair argues over Lester's buying a car was originally "strictly contentious".<ref name="kazan 34">{{harvnb|Kazan|2000|p=34}}</ref>