10 Things You Didn't Know About American Beauty

As with any writer, Alan Ball inserted a lot of his personal life and experiences into his cinematic masterpiece, even seen in the less than sympathetic characters.

In an interview, Ball described himself as “half Lester, half Ricky”, however “there are parts of [him] in every character, but they all exist on their own”.

At least the impetus of Lester’s mid-life crisis is based on Ball’s similar feelings in his mid-thirties. He, like Lester, was stuck in a job he hated, slaving away, and leaving little to no time for his true passions.

The Fitts household was inspired by Ball’s childhood. He always suspected that his father was a closeted homosexual who’d given up the chance to be his true self. This was the clear inspiration for the character of Col. Fitts.

Ball credits his own outlook on life for the script resulting in an award-winning drama and comedy. He did not intentionally situate his script in this mix of genres. However, it produced the stark contrasts throughout the movie, which is one of its shining and defining features.