American Beauty

Continuity mistake: At the end, when Carolyn pulls over to the side of the road in the rain, the first shot shows her windshield wipers going, then in the close-up from outside, they are not, then from the inside of the van, they are going again. (01:36:22)

Continuity mistake: When Lester is drinking from the blender in the kitchen, the bottles in front of the kitchen window are rearranged in between the shots.

Continuity mistake: Lester decides to exercise his body after listening a conversation between his daughter and her friend Angela. He goes to the garage and looks for his instruments, dropping several things to the floor. We can see some of them, but a second later when he didn't even tried to pick them up, a big one has suddenly dissappeared and never comes back.

Continuity mistake: When Carolyn is outside waiting for her family to hop on the car, the position of her hand differs between the front and back shots.

Sacha

Continuity mistake: During the cheerleader routine, the passers-by behind them disappear/are not continuous between shots.

Sacha

Continuity mistake: When Carolyn and Buddy are together at Mr. Smiley's drive-thru, Lester hears them at the order menu ordering, but when it cuts to Carolyn and Buddy in the car they are seen driving up to the order menu.

Timmy DeLong

Continuity mistake: When Carolyn calls Lester and Jane out whilst honking the horn, the shot changes from her to the house several times. Each time the shot is facing the house the side mirror is flapped in and while facing her it isn't. Additionally, in the same scene when Lester comes out, his briefcase opens and his cellphone falls out toward the car out of reach, when he picks it up again it's right next to him.

Visible crew/equipment: After he gets beaten up by his father, Ricky looks in the mirror. On the left edge you can see a bit of the camera, then it moves away. (01:10:10)

More mistakes in American Beauty

Lester: My job consists basically of masking my contempt for the assholes in charge and at least once a day retiring to the men's room so I can jerk off, while fantasizing about a life that doesn't so closely resemble hell.
Brad: Well, you have absolutely no interest in saving yourself.

More quotes from American Beauty
More trivia for American Beauty

Question: I was just wondering if anyone knows what Jane and her father Lester were talking about in the first scene Ricky films them in the kitchen. You see their lips move but naturally since he's in a different house there are no words to accompy this. Maybe a lip reader could help?

Answer: I think they were talking about how Jane never tells Lester anything anymore. He says how they used to be pals and Jane starts to say something and then I think they see Ricky move outside.

More questions & answers from American Beauty

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