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.