Going with a personal fave here, which probably could have dropped a bit lower, but grabbing it anyways.
Team NC-17 would like to move
THE GODFATHER from
DRAMA to
BEST PICTURE, and select
AMERICAN BEAUTY in the
DRAMA catagory.
- This film has been described as "Death of a Salesman" for the nineties. Early in the film, Carolyn mentions that "the Lomans" just moved out of the house next door.
- Lester Burnham, a middle-aged man who develops an infatuation with an adolescent girl, is an update of Humbert Humbert from the classic novel "Lolita." "Lester Burnham" is an anagram for "Humbert learns."
- Lester gives his work phone number as 555-0199. This was also the phone number
Al Pacino leaves on 'Russell Crowe (I)''s answering machine in the beginning of
The Insider (1999), released the same year. This was also Agent Fox Mulder's phone number during the third season of
"The X Files" (1993).
- In Lester's cubicle we see a small movie poster for
The Usual Suspects (1995).
- The title of the film refers to a breed of roses that while pretty and appealing in appearance, is often prone to rot underneath at the roots and branches of the plant. Thus, the tagline '...look closer' tells the viewer when they look beyond the 'perfect suburban life' they will find something rancid at the root.
-
Chris Cooper was the last actor cast - virtually when rehearsals were beginning. When he first read the script, he found the character infuriating, thinking: "God, do I want to spend so much time in this character's head?" He remembers, "Then I started making excuses... I said, this is such a negative script, I don't like this and that." His wife finally told him he was "frightened of this script and chances are because you're frightened you should do this part"; his response was that he "knew, really immediately, that she was right."
- The hand and stomach on the film's poster do not belong to
Mena Suvari, but are in fact those of actress/model
Chloe Hunter.
-
Kevin Spacey improvised everything he does in the car while his character is stoned and singing to "American Woman".
PS - I know both GODFATHER and AMERICAN BEAUTY won Best Picture, but I think both movies fit into their respective spots nicely.