MovieChat Forums > American Beauty (1999) Discussion > Should Angela be more attractive?

Should Angela be more attractive?

posted 4 years ago by Sidha108 (2364)
27 replies | jump to latest

Mena Suvari is pretty, but she doesn’t seem like the type that adult men would fantasize about or try to go out of their way to pursue sexually. Should they have gotten a “sexier” actress to play the role?

[–] atomicx (234) 4 years ago

I haven't seen the movie in quite a while, but she is pretty, she was accessible, and I believe she basically offered herself to him. He did fantasize about her, but I don't recall him going out of his way to pursue her. But again, it's been years since I've seen the movie so it could be that I am forgetting some of the details. Not sure what you would consider "sexier", since that is a subjective term.

[–] TexasJack (12515) 4 years ago

You got it. She was attractive enough and she was there all the time because of her friendship with the weirdo daughter.

[–] stickman38 (3017) 4 years ago

Like I'm sure you'd kick her out of bed? lol...

Who would you have picked for the role?

I've always thought Christina Ricci or maybe Mila Kunis might have been an interesting choice. But Mena is nice looking. I thought she was attractive enough. Alyssa Milano would have been a good choice too but was probably a little too old for the role at that time. But coming from her "sexy" roles in Poison Ivy 2 and Embrace of The Vampire would have made more sense. But still, Mena did fine.

[–] Sidha108 (2364) 4 years ago

I think Mena was fine in the role too and she is quite good looking, don’t get me wrong, but it would likely take a further level of attraction/sex appeal for a married adult man to be infatuated with an underage girl as much as Lester is in the film. Actresses who were young at the time I can think of who probably would be good fits are Mila Kunis, Rosario Dawson, and Chloe Sevigny.

[–] Kowalski (59230) 4 years ago

I CALL BULLSHIT...MENA SUVARI IS TOP TEN ALL TIME FOR ME...SUPER HOT...GREAT ACTOR...SHE IS PERFECT IN HER ROLE.

[–] Kowalski (59230) 3 years ago

THIS GUY GETS IT.👆🏾

[–] stickman38 (3017) 2 months ago

When replying to yourself, always use lower case.

[–] kwestmo (4123) 4 years ago

I don't understand the question. Based on the current and forthcoming responses, you might want to self-reflect. Seriously.

Chloe Sevigny? Really?

[–] Otter (24464) 4 years ago

Actually, she does look like a type that a lsome adult pervs would go for, more girlish than womanly. Tiny, blonde, talking like a fully sexual adult but looking like an innocent girl.

Lester's interest in the girl is supposed to be disturbing, it's inappropriate and his feelings include a component of longing for youthful innocence as well as sex. If they'd cast a girl who seemed hotter and who looked more grown up, his interest would have seemed purely sexual, but with a girl who looked fragile and immature.. well, I'm sure the casting was very deliberate.

[–] fc31 (4633) 2 months ago

No, that is not it. Lester was disappointed when he found out she was a virgin.

I think that was when he realised what he had was a fantasy.

So I think Lester was into her because he perceived her as a seductive temptress.

[–] PaladinNJ (20324) 3 years ago

Many adult men would probably disagree with that.

[–] Who (5146) 3 years ago

Age difference aside, pumpkin-faced Kevin Spacey character was way out of her league

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Maybe he held the door open for her?

[–] trevorh321 (5495) 3 years ago

I thought she was plenty attractive and sexy for the role.