Great Scene: “American Beauty”
Today’s great scene comes courtesy of writer Alan Ball and the fantastic dark satire he wrote American Beauty (1999). This is a hauntingly beautiful moment and drives home how even the most mundane events — such as a plastic bag caught up in the wind — can translate into powerful drama.
RICKY
You want to see the most beautiful thing
I’ve ever filmed?
INT. FITTS HOUSE — RICKY’S BEDROOM — MOMENTS LATER
On VIDEO: We’re in an empty parking lot on a cold, gray day.
Something is floating across from us… it’s an empty, wrinkled,
white PLASTIC BAG. We follow it as the wind carries it in a
circle around us, sometimes whipping it about violently, or,
without warning, sending it soaring skyward, then letting it
float gracefully down to the ground…
Jane and Ricky sit on the bed, watching his WIDE-SCREEN TV.
RICKY
It was one of those days when it’s a
minute away from snowing. And there’s
this electricity in the air, you can
almost hear it, right? And this bag
was just… dancing with me. Like a
little kid begging me to play with it.
For fifteen minutes. That’s the day I
realized that there was this entire
life behind things, and this incredibly
benevolent force that wanted me to know
there was no reason to be afraid. Ever.
A beat.
RICKY (cont’d)
Video’s a poor excuse, I know. But it
helps me remember… I need to remember…
Now Jane is watching him.
RICKY (cont’d)
(distant)
Sometimes there’s so much beauty in the
world I feel like I can’t take it…
and my heart is going to cave in.
After a moment, Jane takes his hand. Then she leans in
and kisses him softly on the lips. His eyes scan hers,
curious to see how she reacts to this…
And here is the scene itself from the movie.
From an Amazon.com interview with screenwriter Alan Ball:
Amazon.com: There’s something so simple and poetic about Ricky’s encounter with the plastic bag that just keeps whirling in the breeze. You’re not sure what it means, but the simple beauty of it has a profound effect. How did that come about?
Alan Ball: I had an encounter with a plastic bag! And I didn’t have a video camera, like Ricky does. I’m sure some people would look at that and go, “What a psycho!” But it was a very intense and very real moment. There’s a Buddhist notion of the miraculous within the mundane, and I think we certainly live in a culture that encourages us not to look for that. I do like, though, that Ricky says, “Video’s a poor excuse, but it helps me remember.” Because it’s not the video he’s focused on; it’s the experience itself. He’s very connected to the world around him.
The miraculous within the mundane. Yes, so true. Little things can take on a world of meaning depending upon the characters and the situation.
But here’s another takeaway from this scene: We, as writers, have to be observant, pay attention to the world around us, be mindful of narrative possibilities. Alan Ball happened upon a dancing plastic bag. He could have simply passed by. He didn’t. His eyes captured the moment. And that inspired one of the most memorable scenes in this memorable movie.
[Originally posted August 29, 2008]