I don’t think I have known a person who is not afraid of growing older. By the time we reach middle age, there are concerns regarding careers, marriage, and relationships with our kids. American Beauty also represents the same situation highlighting the life of a man who is having a midlife crisis after realizing that he is attracted to his teenage daughter’s best friend. In this article, we are going to discuss filming locations and tell you where was American Beauty filmed.
American Beauty is a black comedy-drama starring Kevin Spacey and was released in 1999. The movie became very popular at the time of its release and received positive reviews from the audiences, especially for the production aspects. Do you know that the director took a different approach while filming the movie? Yes, he filmed the exterior shots in a studio lot and the interiors at real locations, which doesn’t usually happen.
Talking about the main locations, the movie was shot at Warner Bros. Burbank Lot, Hancock Park, Brentwood, and Los Angeles. Some high school shots were filmed at South High School, Torrance, California. We will discuss all these locations in detail for you to know where was American Beauty filmed.
Table of Contents
The Plot Of American Beauty | A Film About Existentialism and Lust!
The movie American Beauty revolves around a middle-aged guy Lester Burnham ( Kevin Spacey), who hates his job and is unhappy in his marriage. During a dance routine event at his 16-year-old daughter Jane’s school, Lester gets love-struck by his daughter’s friend Angela. He finds the catalyst for bringing back his youth and freedom in Angela and starts trying various ways to make himself look attractive to Angela.
One stormy night a series of misunderstandings happen that connect the thread between the different characters. This leads to some brilliant, funny sequences and a deeply disturbing ending. If you are a fan of Kevin Spacey and like comedy-drama movies, then you have probably watched this movie. If you haven’t watched it yet, then we recommend you add this movie to your watchlist.
Where was American Beauty Filmed? Know All The Famous Locations!
The movie perfectly describes American life, and that’s why the locations used in the movie looked very relatable to the audiences. The movie has both rib-tickling comedy and sad drama, which makes it a perfect watch. Let’s discuss some of the locations in the movie to give you a better idea about the places where the movie was shot.
Warner Bros. Burbank Lot, California
Burbank lies at the southeastern end of South Fernando Valley in Los Angeles county, California. The warner Bros. studios in Burbank also gives a studio tour of Hollywood for the public, where they give people a chance to view behind the scenes of one of the oldest studios in the world.
The exterior of the house where Lester lived is located at this Warner Bros. Ranch. The ranch is a small lot away from the main studio, and it’s not open for the public to visit. The exterior facade of the house also appeared in the latest Marvel show ‘WandaVision.’ To the right of Lester’s house, you will see another exterior of a house where his neighbor Colonel lives in. This house is also seen in Lethal Weapon films.
Brentwood, California
Brentwood is a suburban area located in the Eastern bay region of the San Fransisco Bay area. The city offers various premium restaurants, parks and recreation, and other attractions that you can enjoy with your whole family if you are planning to visit there.
The interiors of the house where Lester lives were filmed at a house located at 11388 Homedale Street, Beloit Avenue, in the neighborhood of Brentford town of California. The house also seems to appear in various TV shows like ‘Lizzie McGuire.’
Brentwood offers various state-of-the-art sound stages and bays for film and tv productions and has always been one of the favorite locations for filming relevant American neighborhoods.
Hancock Park, California
The interiors of the Colonel’s house “next door” were shot here at 330 South Windsor Boulevard in Hancock park. The same house can also be seen in the film ‘Lady Bird’ starring Timothee Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan.
This neighborhood is a popular location in countless movies and is quite commonly used by filmmakers to depict old Hollywood because of its central location and beautiful houses.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles is a southwestern city in California and a hub of America’s television and movie industry. The high-school shots where Lester sees his daughter’s friend Angela and gets infatuated with her were taken at South High School, 4801 Pacific Coast Highway, Torrance, and Long Beach Polytechnic High School, 1600 Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach.
The restaurant at which Lester gets the job of serving the burgers is also located in San Fernando Valley, north of Los Angeles.
Final Words
I hope now you are all aware of the location where American Beauty was filmed. We have reached the end of the article and discussed all the major locations where the filming of the movie took place. The location does justice to the story of the film as the makers are showcasing a normal American household and neighborhood places.
If you liked the article, then please share your opinions about it with us in the comments section below. For other filming location articles, you can visit our website. We have also shared locations for various films like Friday and Snow White, and The Huntsman. Keep reading!
Why is American Beauty Rated R?
The film is rated R due to the coarse and explicit language used by the characters. And the constant use of swearing words. Some dialogues also depreciate women and homosexuals.
How many Oscars did American Beauty win?
The American Beauty won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography at the 1999 Academy Awards.
What is Kevin Spacey’s net worth?
According to celebrity net worth, Kevin Spacey has a net worth of $75 million in 2022.
