Just a Poor ShlubLester is kind of a complicated dude, and he goes through some big changes throughout the movie. When we first meet him, he seems pretty pathetic and beaten down by life:LESTER: Bo...

Mean mommy. Cold fish. Social climber. Unfaithful wife. No, Carolyn's character is not designed to be liked… at least for the first part of American Beauty.For the most part, the movie portrays C...

Despite being the very first character we meet in the movie, Jane Burnham is in more of a supporting role—both in the movie overall and in her family. And of course, she knows it. When we first m...

Ricky Fitts is definitely an odd duck—and that's probably putting it mildly. At first, we think he might be odd in a psychopathic way, because he's videotaping Jane (and others) without their kno...

The tagline for American Beauty is "Look closer," and that's exactly what you need to do with Angela Hayes. Sex Kitten?At first, she seems like an almost stereotypical sex kitten. She wears tons of...

To say Colonel Frank Fitts is a complex guy is to make the understatement of the century. This guy is a study in repression, rage, and self-loathing. In fact, he might be the most layered character...

Mrs. Fitts doesn't get a lot to do or say in the movie, and she's kind of a mystery. Most of the time, she seems pseudo-catatonic, just sitting around the house staring off into space. Then, when s...

Buddy Kane is a toothy, chiseled, and good-looking real estate agent. He's also as slick as an oil spill.Carolyn initially views him as her rival, since he's the hotshot in their town (and she's no...

Jim and Jim are a gay couple who live in the same neighborhood as Carolyn, Lester, and Jane. We don't see too much of them, but they seem friendly.