American Beauty Quotes
Carolyn Burnham : There happens to be a lot about me that you don't know, Mr. Smarty Man. There's plenty of joy in my life.
Movie: American Beauty
Brad Dupree : Got a minute?
Lester Burnham : [ Phony, overly polite voice ] For you, Brad, I've got five!
Lester Burnham : [ Phony, overly polite voice ] For you, Brad, I've got five!
Movie: American Beauty
Angela Hayes : If people I don't even know look at me and want to fuck me, it means I really have a shot at being a model.
Movie: American Beauty
Ricky Fitts : My dad thinks I paid for all this with catering jobs. Never underestimate the power of denial.
Movie: American Beauty
Lester Burnham : This isn't life, it's just stuff. And it's become more important to you than living. Well, honey, that's just nuts.
Movie: American Beauty
Lester Burnham : Remember those posters that said, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life"? Well, that's true of every day but one - the day you die.
Movie: American Beauty
[ first lines ]
Jane Burnham : I need a father who's a role model, not some horny geek-boy who's gonna spray his shorts whenever I bring a girlfriend home from school. What a lame-o. Someone really should just put him out of his misery.
Ricky Fitts : Want me to kill him for you?
Jane Burnham : Yeah. Would you?
Jane Burnham : I need a father who's a role model, not some horny geek-boy who's gonna spray his shorts whenever I bring a girlfriend home from school. What a lame-o. Someone really should just put him out of his misery.
Ricky Fitts : Want me to kill him for you?
Jane Burnham : Yeah. Would you?
Movie: American Beauty
Jane Burnham : Are you scared?
Ricky Fitts : I don't get scared.
Jane Burnham : My parents will try to find me.
Ricky Fitts : Mine won't.
Ricky Fitts : I don't get scared.
Jane Burnham : My parents will try to find me.
Ricky Fitts : Mine won't.
Movie: American Beauty
Angela Hayes : It's that psycho next door. Jane, what if he worships you? What if he's got a shrine with pictures of you surrounded by dead people's heads and stuff?
Movie: American Beauty
Ricky Fitts : I was filming this dead bird.
Angela Hayes : Why?
Ricky Fitts : Because it's beautiful.
Angela Hayes : Why?
Ricky Fitts : Because it's beautiful.
Movie: American Beauty
Lester Burnham : How's Jane?
Angela Hayes : What do you mean?
Lester Burnham : I mean, how's her life? Is she happy? Is she miserable? I'd really like to know, and she'd die before she'd ever tell me about it.
Angela Hayes : She's... she's really happy. She thinks she's in love.
Lester Burnham : Good for her.
Angela Hayes : How are you?
Lester Burnham : God, it's been a long time since anybody asked me that... I'm great.
Angela Hayes : I've gotta go to the bathroom.
Lester Burnham : I'm great.
Angela Hayes : What do you mean?
Lester Burnham : I mean, how's her life? Is she happy? Is she miserable? I'd really like to know, and she'd die before she'd ever tell me about it.
Angela Hayes : She's... she's really happy. She thinks she's in love.
Lester Burnham : Good for her.
Angela Hayes : How are you?
Lester Burnham : God, it's been a long time since anybody asked me that... I'm great.
Angela Hayes : I've gotta go to the bathroom.
Lester Burnham : I'm great.
Movie: American Beauty
[ at the dinner table ]
Carolyn Burnham : Your father and I were just discussing his day at work. Why don't you tell our daughter about it, honey?
Lester Burnham : Janie, today I quit my job. And then I told my boss to go fuck himself, and then I blackmailed him for almost sixty thousand dollars. Pass the asparagus.
Carolyn Burnham : Your father seems to think this type of behavior is something to be proud of.
Lester Burnham : And your mother seems to prefer I go through life like a fucking prisoner while she keeps my dick in a mason jar under the sink.
Carolyn Burnham : How dare you speak to me that way in front of her. And I marvel that you can be so contemptuous of me, on the same day that you LOSE your job.
Lester Burnham : Lose it? I didn't lose it. It's not like, "Whoops! Where'd my job go?" I QUIT. Someone pass me the asparagus.
Carolyn Burnham : Your father and I were just discussing his day at work. Why don't you tell our daughter about it, honey?
Lester Burnham : Janie, today I quit my job. And then I told my boss to go fuck himself, and then I blackmailed him for almost sixty thousand dollars. Pass the asparagus.
Carolyn Burnham : Your father seems to think this type of behavior is something to be proud of.
Lester Burnham : And your mother seems to prefer I go through life like a fucking prisoner while she keeps my dick in a mason jar under the sink.
Carolyn Burnham : How dare you speak to me that way in front of her. And I marvel that you can be so contemptuous of me, on the same day that you LOSE your job.
Lester Burnham : Lose it? I didn't lose it. It's not like, "Whoops! Where'd my job go?" I QUIT. Someone pass me the asparagus.
Movie: American Beauty
Lester Burnham : You don't think it's kinda weird & fascist?
Carolyn Burnham : Possibly, but you don't want to be unemployed.
Lester Burnham : Oh well, all right, let's all sell our souls and work for Satan because it's more convenient that way.
Carolyn Burnham : Possibly, but you don't want to be unemployed.
Lester Burnham : Oh well, all right, let's all sell our souls and work for Satan because it's more convenient that way.
Movie: American Beauty
Mr. Smiley's Manager : I don't think you'd fit in here.
Lester Burnham : I have fast food experience.
Mr. Smiley's Manager : Yeah, like twenty years ago!
Lester Burnham : Well, I'm sure there have been amazing technological advances in the industry, but surely you must have some sort of training program. It seems unfair to presume I won't be able to learn.
Lester Burnham : I have fast food experience.
Mr. Smiley's Manager : Yeah, like twenty years ago!
Lester Burnham : Well, I'm sure there have been amazing technological advances in the industry, but surely you must have some sort of training program. It seems unfair to presume I won't be able to learn.
Movie: American Beauty
Carolyn Burnham : Well, I see you're smoking pot now. I think using psychotropic drugs is a very positive example to set for our daughter.
Lester Burnham : You're one to talk, you bloodless, money-grubbing freak.
Lester Burnham : You're one to talk, you bloodless, money-grubbing freak.
Movie: American Beauty
Carolyn Burnham : What the hell do you think you're doing?
Lester Burnham : Uh oh! Mom's mad! Bench presses. I'm going to whale on my pecs and then do my back.
Lester Burnham : Uh oh! Mom's mad! Bench presses. I'm going to whale on my pecs and then do my back.
Movie: American Beauty
[ last lines ]
Lester Burnham : [ narrating ] I had always heard your entire life flashes in front of your eyes the second before you die. First of all, that one second isn't a second at all, it stretches on forever, like an ocean of time... For me, it was lying on my back at Boy Scout camp, watching falling stars... And yellow leaves, from the maple trees, that lined our street... Or my grandmother's hands, and the way her skin seemed like paper... And the first time I saw my cousin Tony's brand new Firebird... And Janie... And Janie... And... Carolyn. I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me... but it's hard to stay mad, when there's so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst... And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life... You have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure. But don't worry... you will someday.
Lester Burnham : [ narrating ] I had always heard your entire life flashes in front of your eyes the second before you die. First of all, that one second isn't a second at all, it stretches on forever, like an ocean of time... For me, it was lying on my back at Boy Scout camp, watching falling stars... And yellow leaves, from the maple trees, that lined our street... Or my grandmother's hands, and the way her skin seemed like paper... And the first time I saw my cousin Tony's brand new Firebird... And Janie... And Janie... And... Carolyn. I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me... but it's hard to stay mad, when there's so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst... And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life... You have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure. But don't worry... you will someday.
Movie: American Beauty
Jane Burnham : [ turning the camera on Ricky ] Don't you feel naked?
Ricky Fitts : [ looking down, grinning ] I am naked.
Ricky Fitts : [ looking down, grinning ] I am naked.
Movie: American Beauty
Lester Burnham : [ narrating ] That's my wife, Carolyn. See the way the handle on her pruning shears matches her gardening clogs? That's not an accident.
Movie: American Beauty
Colonel Frank Fitts : You need structure... and discipline.
Ricky Fitts : Thank you for trying to teach me, sir. Don't give up on me, Dad.
Ricky Fitts : Thank you for trying to teach me, sir. Don't give up on me, Dad.
Movie: American Beauty
Carolyn Burnham : My company sells an image. It's part of my job to live that image.
Movie: American Beauty
Lester Burnham : [ narrating ] It's a great thing when you realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself.
Movie: American Beauty
Carolyn Burnham : What are you doing?
Lester Burnham : Nothing.
Carolyn Burnham : You were masturbating!
Lester Burnham : I was not.
Carolyn Burnham : Yes you were!
Lester Burnham : Oh, all right! So shoot me, I was whacking off! That's right, I was choking the bishop, chafing the carrot, you know, saying "hi" to my monster!
Lester Burnham : Nothing.
Carolyn Burnham : You were masturbating!
Lester Burnham : I was not.
Carolyn Burnham : Yes you were!
Lester Burnham : Oh, all right! So shoot me, I was whacking off! That's right, I was choking the bishop, chafing the carrot, you know, saying "hi" to my monster!
Movie: American Beauty
Lester Burnham : When I was your age, I flipped burgers all summer just to be able to buy an eight-track.
Ricky Fitts : That sucks.
Lester Burnham : No, actually it was great. All I did was party and get laid. I had my whole life ahead of me.
Ricky Fitts : That sucks.
Lester Burnham : No, actually it was great. All I did was party and get laid. I had my whole life ahead of me.
Movie: American Beauty
Buddy Kane : In order to be successful, one must project an image of success at all times.
Movie: American Beauty
Jane Burnham : Somebody should just put him out of his misery.
Ricky Fitts : Do you want me to kill him?
Jane Burnham : Yeah, would you?
Ricky Fitts : Do you want me to kill him?
Jane Burnham : Yeah, would you?
Movie: American Beauty
Colonel Frank Fitts : Where's your wife?
Lester Burnham : Uh, I dunno. Probably out fucking that dorky, prince-of-real-estate asshole. And you know what? I don't care.
Colonel Frank Fitts : Your wife is with another man and you don't care?
Lester Burnham : Nope. Our marriage is just for show. A commercial for how normal we are when we're anything but.
Lester Burnham : Uh, I dunno. Probably out fucking that dorky, prince-of-real-estate asshole. And you know what? I don't care.
Colonel Frank Fitts : Your wife is with another man and you don't care?
Lester Burnham : Nope. Our marriage is just for show. A commercial for how normal we are when we're anything but.
Movie: American Beauty
Lester Burnham : So, Janie, how was school?
Jane Burnham : It was okay.
Lester Burnham : Just okay?
Jane Burnham : No, Dad, it was spectacular.
Jane Burnham : It was okay.
Lester Burnham : Just okay?
Jane Burnham : No, Dad, it was spectacular.
Movie: American Beauty
[ after meeting Ricky Fitts for the first time ]
Angela Hayes : What a freak! And why does he dress like a bible salesman?
Jane Burnham : He's just so confident, it can't be real.
Angela Hayes : I don't believe him. I mean, he didn't even like, look at me once!
Angela Hayes : What a freak! And why does he dress like a bible salesman?
Jane Burnham : He's just so confident, it can't be real.
Angela Hayes : I don't believe him. I mean, he didn't even like, look at me once!
Movie: American Beauty