American Beauty: The Shooting Script (Newmarket Shooting Scripts) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Sam Mendes (Introduction)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"I read the screenplay and nearly fell out of bed. I thought I better meet him quick before someone else read it."--Kevin Spacey

Actors and critics alike have praised Alan Ball's first feature film screenplay, which tells the off-kilter story of a midlife crisis suffered by Lester Burnham (played by Spacey). For fans of the film's dialogue--and there will be many--the screenplay allows Ball's words as well as the film's inventive imagery, from flying rose petals to a dancing plastic bag, to be savored.

Unfortunately for those wanting the inside scoop, this text is not the original shooting script but rather the screenplay of the final cut. But the script is so impressive, that's a minor quibble. The accompanying notes from Ball and director Sam Mendes are quite insightful, hinting at a different original ending and revealing Ball's odd inspiration for his idea: the tale of Joey Buttafuoco. Ball's TV background has made him an expert technical writer, and this book would serve as a great template for the fledgling screenwriter. It includes 20 black and white photos and a cast list. --Doug Thomas

Review

Although only a few people have seen the movie, the buzz about it has startled even DreamWorks . . . Mr. Spielberg has told colleagues it's one of the best films he's seen in years. After Ms. Bening saw the film, the actress was so overcome that she is reported to have burst into tears. -- Bernard Weinraub, The New York Times, 2 July 1999

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Product Details

• Paperback: 118 pages
• Publisher: Newmarket Press; First Trade Paper Edition edition (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155704404X
• ISBN-13: 978-1557044044
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #67,767 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars THIS IS NOT A SHOOTING SCRIPT!, March 2, 2000

By	Justin Gardner (Kansas City) - See all my reviews

Okay, first things first. This IS NOT a shooting script. This is a word for word verbatim transcription. A shooting script shows everything that the director shot during filming. This is the edited version. I would not have bought this book had I known it was basically a copy of the movie. What makes a shooting script great is you can see what scenes the director left out and how the complexion of the movie changes on the set, in edting, and else where. This has NONE OF THAT. So buyer beware, this is not a shooting script. A great script, but not what it claims to be. That's why I gave it such a low star score. Like I said, fantastic script, but a horrible lie to the consumer when it purports to be a shooting script.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "American Beauty Proves to Be Beautiful Once Again", March 31, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: American Beauty: The Shooting Script (Newmarket Shooting Scripts) (Hardcover)

After seeing this brilliant film, I picked up a copy of the shooting script. I had hoped it would contain the original ending but it is instead a word for word copy of the lines from the film. Which is not a bad thing. After seeing this movie which won five Academy Awards including Best Screenplay, I could pick up the script and "watch" the movie over and over again in my mind and invision the talented actors appear on screen while I read. Even if you haven't seen the film, the script is an excellent tale of suburbian lifestyle that is delivered with a darkness and humor that is hard to dislike. It is a perfect literary work for anybody because there is at least one character that the reader can totally relate with. Discover the beauty of "American Beauty" which challenges us to "Look Closer."

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A guaranteed Academy Award winner for Best Screenplay, November 17, 1999

By A Customer

A truly remarkable script for a movie that, to my mind, is one of the two or three best movies of the '90s and by far the most life-affirming. The best way to describe "American Beauty" is simply to say that it shows how life is too short to not go after what you want -- but how life is also too short to not appreciate what you already have. And as Kevin Spacey/Lester Burnham says at the end, if you don't understand what I mean by that, you will someday.