What are some famous American Beauty quotes?

Starring Kevin Spacey, American Beauty is a 1999 American film directed by Sam Mendes and written by Alan Ball. It won five Academy Awards. This article contains famous and memorable American Beauty quotes as said by the characters.

Main cast

Cast information
-Lester Burnham, played by Kevin Spacey
-Carolyn Burnham, played by Annette Bening
-Ricky Fitts, played by Wes Bentley

Lester Burnham

Most memorable quote
"My name is Lester Burnham. This is my neighborhood; this is my street; this is my life. I am 42 years old...in less than a year I will be dead. Of course I don't know that yet, and in a way, I am dead already. Look at me, jerking off in the shower - this will be the high point of my day. It's all downhill from here. Both my wife and daughter think I'm this gigantic loser and they're right, I have lost something. I'm not exactly sure what it is but I know I didn't always feel this...sedated. But you know what? It's never too late to get it back. It's a great thing when you realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself. This isn't life, it's just stuff. And it's become more important to you than living. Well, honey, that's just nuts. Smile! You're at Mr. Smiley's!"

Carolyn Burnham

Carolyn Burnham's popular quote
"My company sells an image. It's part of my job to live that image. Honey, I'm so proud of you. I watched you very closely, and you didn't screw up once!"

Ricky Fitts

Most famous Ricky Fitts quote
"Welcome to America's weirdest home videos. 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. And this bag was, like, dancing with me. Like a little kid begging me to play with it. For fifteen minutes. And that's the day I realized 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. Video's a poor excuse, I know. But it helps me remember...and I need to remember...Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't take it, like my heart's going to cave in."