Beautiful Youth: An Interview With the Young Stars of American Beauty

It was a hot Sunday afternoon when I met the young trio of actors who fill out the second generation in the cast of American Beauty. Certainly, I could have picked the three, um, American beauties out of a lineup--all striking examples of uncommon poise. Petite and chatty, Mena Suvari (teenage lust object Angela Hayes in the film) appeared with a surprisingly modest brunette dye job which only partially belied the model-quality good looks that garnered her roles in both "American" movies this summer, both this one and American Pie. With unshaven, not-quite-ratty stubble that gave him the look of a leaner, more thoughtful Tobey Maguire, Wes Bentley (the intense drug dealer and video voyeur Ricky Fitts) stayed mostly quiet during our encounter. But, in the end, it was precocious, prickly Thora Birch-- still 17, no matter what you read--who made the most impression on me. Sweatered in the heat, she told me about making the transition from child actor (in movies like Patriot Games, Hocus Pocus and Alaska) to adult roles, and the joys of teaching Kevin Spacey a thing or two about this gig called acting.

The Harvard Crimson: You know, the first thing that struck me when I saw the film was: my god, what a fantastic, witty screenplay this must have seemed when you first came across it. What went through your minds when you first got involved with American Beauty?

Mena Suvari: I thought just the same--I was struck, really amazed at how true to life it seemed. I was especially fond of my character; I loved her many layers. It was a highly visual script. You could see the film clearly from it--though it had a somewhat cooler, crasser edge.

THC: What were your most enjoyable scenes in the filmmaking process? What was most difficult for you?

Wes Bentley: Oh, well, I had a great time doing the pot smoking scene with Kevin.

THC: I think that definitely showed in the final cut of the film.

WB: (laughing) Yeah, it was a lot of fun.

Thora Birch: One of the most difficult scenes for me was the dinner scene with Kevin [Spacey] and Annette [Bening]. At times they were so spontaneous that they would come up with different things and try different responses. It was very hard to stay inside myself and not bust out laughing. I think there is even a shot in it where you can tell that I am about to lose it.

MS: Well, for me, I think, you know--obviously I had some slight difficulty in taking my top off on camera (laughs and blushes). But other than that, I found it so easy to identify with Angela that it was never hard to get inside her. I was really, really eager to play her because I've always had so many different sides to me. It made me feel even stronger as an actor.

THC: So.... What is it like to get to work with big stars like Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening?

WB: Ooo, the big question!

TB: You know, I think they learned a lot working with me, really. I could see them watching me closely, and... (breaks up laughing). No, I'm kidding. These are just gods of the cinema. But at this point; when you're nine and working with Harrison Ford, I don't think you can absorb as much as you do when you're 17 working with Kevin Spacey. Oh, make sure you say I'm 17. Not 18. Everyone keeps saying I'm 18; it's a lie. I'm a minor.

WB: Kevin knows how to keep a set light. He would always be doing impressions.

MS: It would be Walter Matthau one day, and Christopher Walken the next....

THC: Most movies that feature teenagers as a focal point don't often look so realistically at what teenage life is like, and the way they talk to each other. Were you worried that you might alienate people with some of the really controversial things your characters do?

MS: I would be the first person to watch a movie that put teenagers in a really realistic light. I think a sugarcoated view of teenage life has its place--a lot of those films are highly entertaining. But when you are doing a serious piece, and demonstrating that film can be art, the more real your portrayal is, the better.

THC: American Beauty is striking as a film that takes the idea of beauty very seriously. Has your sense or definition of beauty changed having worked on the film?

WB: When I first read the screenplay, I read the monologue about the beauty of a plastic bag blowing in the wind: "There is so much beauty in the world, you feel like you can't take it."

MS: That line gets me every time.

WB: It felt like it was overwhelming his body, like it was going to cave in. I had recently been finding myself finding myself fascinated by things that I would normally find disturbing. My ideas of beauty at that time had just started to change. I was wondering a lot about why I would find these things beautiful. I read the script and the speech spoke directly to me at the time. I think it is what I needed to hear.

MS: I can find beauty in the simplest things. Actually, I was thinking last night; I was looking at the title of the movie when I was at the party last night. "American" makes me think of things that are simple and plain, whereas "beauty" is more alluring, and exciting. When I think of "American Beauty," maybe it's this idea: finding the simple beauty of life, finding beauty in the plainest things, and in just being alive.

THC: I'm sorry, I've got to ask: Mena, is that your belly-button on the movie posters?

MS: No. Mine's an outtie. I tend to think it's Kevin's. I don't know -- maybe it's computer-generated. I wish it were my belly-button.