#30. American Beauty
In 1999, American Beauty put every frustrated suburbanite’s darkest fantasy on display. Screenwriter Alan Ball’s black comedy told the story of Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), a depressed family man who succumbs to the inevitable midlife crisis. The debut film of director Sam Mendes was so resonant that, in 2000, it brought home five Oscars, including the coveted Best Picture statue.
That unforgettable scene where Kevin Spacey’s character, Lester, throws a plate of asparagus at the wall, behind Thora’s Birch back, was meant to be thrown at the floor. Despite the fact that it was intended by the director to be that way, Spacey improvised the now-famous scene and threw the plate violently to the wall. The reactions from Annette Bening and Thora Birch are genuine.