History Characters / AmericanBeauty

* ADateWithRosiePalms:. There are two occasions where Lester masturbates: the shower in opening scene, and when he's having dirty dreams about Angela at the middle of the film. Carolyn catches him at the latter.

* TheHedonist: Embraces this lifestyle in the film after being unhappy.

* PowerHair: Short, layered, feminine hair to fit her image of a go-getting Real Estate Agent.

* BigOlEyebrows: He sports a very impressive pair.

* KarmaHoudini: He goes unpunished for beating his son and [[spoiler:murdering Lester]].

* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: When Frank kicks Ricky out and Ricky is about to leave to run away with Jane, he bids his mother goodbye. She responds, "Wear a raincoat." Which is...good advice.

* HappilyMarried: They're not actually married, but they're the only couple (and characters, for that matter) in the film who are truly ordinary, happy and healthy.
* OneSteveLimit: Averted, obviously.
* StraightGay: Both of them (surprisingly enough for a 90s movie couple).
%%* ThoseTwoGuys

* DeadpanSnarker: To the nth degree, his response to finding his wife cheating on him is more snarky than enraged.

* HiddenDepths: Linked to her InferioritySuperiorityComplex. When she's on the receiving end of Ricky's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, her reaction implies that his comments hit a lot of hidden but poorly-managed insecurities. [[spoiler: When Jane finally has enough and leaves her, she seems genuinely [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone saddened]]. Then there's the final reveal that she's actually a virgin, and that her [[TheTease Tease]] persona is an act. In the end, the seemingly-lustful, sensual {{Lolita}} {{Expy}} is revealed to simply be a fairly typical teenager: vulnerable and insecure, and trying to seem more experienced and confident than she actually is.]]

* SmugSnake: Overly confident and handsome, he nonetheless shrinks into the background when he and Carolyn are caught cheating in the fast food drive-thru lane. He later sheepishly begs off when he and Carolyn are about to have another of their regular trysts at a local motel, citing ugliness that would pop up during his divorce proceedings.

[[folder:Lester]]

[[folder:Carolyn]]

[[folder:Jane]]

[[folder:Angela]]

[[folder:Ricky]]

[[folder:Barbara]]

[[folder:Frank]]

%%* SilverFox

* HatesTheirParent: She hates her pathetic dad and conspires to have him put out of his misery.
* HeadTurningBeauty: Ricky comments on her beauty.

* BitchAlert: Her Her first lines to her daughter are "are you trying to look unattractive today?" and her idea of congratulating her on her routine is, "you didn't screw up once!"

* SexlessMarriage: The only boinking Lester gets is masturbating in the shower. and (once) in bed.

* {{Posthumous Narrat|ion}}or: Been narrating his life.
* SexlessMarriage: The only boinking done was masturbating in the shower.

* CaughtWithYourPantsDown:. There are two occasions where Lester masturbates: the shower in opening scene, and when he's having dirty dreams about Angela at the middle of the film. Carolyn catches him at the latter.

* CharacterDevelopment: His midlife crisis acts not only as a catalyst that changed Lester, but for most of the major characters in the film.

* SoulCrushingDeskJob: He works a boring desk job that, along with his troubled marriage, he believes is killing him. As part of his midlife crisis, he blackmails his boss, quits his job, and goes back to flipping burgers, which he finds far more satisfying.

* AllGuysWantCheerleaders: the first time Lester sees her (and becomes infatuated with her) is when he watches her cheerleading routine.

[[folder:Jim & Jim]]
!!Jim Berkley & Jim Olmeyer