 In 1997 , Alan Ball resolved to move into the film industry after several frustrating years writing for the television sitcoms Grace Under Fire and <unk> . He joined the United Talent Agency , where his representative , Andrew <unk> , suggested he write a <unk> script to " <unk> [ himself ] to the town as a screenwriter " . Ball pitched three ideas to <unk> : two conventional romantic comedies and American Beauty , which he had originally conceived as a play in the early 1990s . Despite the story 's lack of an easily <unk> concept , <unk> selected American Beauty because he felt it was the one for which Ball had the most passion . While developing the script , Ball created another television sitcom , Oh , <unk> Up . He channeled his anger and frustration at having to <unk> to network demands on that show — and during his <unk> on Grace Under Fire and <unk> — into writing American Beauty . 
