Q 01/05

In what year was American Beauty released?

A) 1997

B) 1998

C) 1999

D) 2000

Answer · why

C) 1999

1999 was the release year: the film opened in limited release on September 15, went wide in October, and won Best Picture the following March.

Q 02/05

Who plays Lester Burnham?

A) Kevin Costner

B) Kevin Spacey

C) John Travolta

D) Bruce Willis

Answer · why

B) Kevin Spacey

Kevin Spacey was the director's first choice; the studio floated the other three names, but he did not want a big star weighing the film down.

Q 03/05

Who plays Carolyn Burnham, Lester's status-obsessed wife?

A) Joan Allen

B) Annette Bening

C) Helen Hunt

D) Holly Hunter

Answer · why

B) Annette Bening

Annette Bening was offered the part by the director without the studio's consent, after executives had pushed bigger names; the role brought her a Bes...

Q 04/05

Which theater director made his feature-film debut with American Beauty?

A) Rob Marshall

B) Stephen Daldry

C) Nicholas Hytner

D) Sam Mendes

Answer · why

D) Sam Mendes

Sam Mendes came from London's Donmar Warehouse theatre; American Beauty was his first film, and it won him the Best Director Oscar.

Q 05/05

Who wrote the screenplay?

A) Alan Ball

B) Charlie Kaufman

C) Paul Thomas Anderson

D) Alexander Payne

Answer · why

A) Alan Ball

Alan Ball wrote it while working as a frustrated sitcom writer; he went on to create Six Feet Under and True Blood for HBO.