The Top 11 Most Profitable Films in Box Office History

7. American Beauty

American Beauty welcomed Sam Mendes to the shortlist of most sought-after directors. The process by which he made American Beautywas unorthodox in the realm of filmmaking, including a longer rehearsal period in an effort to explore, and fine tune performances with his actors. The cast was full of heavy hitters, but the budget remained relatively small–those things a studio can do when a script is so good. Considering adjustment, they made the film in 1999 for a measly $20 million, and it went on to gross $356 million. It offered Kevin Spacey membership in the “Do What You Wanna Do” club, introduced us to Wes Bentley, reassured us that Annette Benning is about as close to perfect as is possible and thrust Chris Cooper into the spotlight he deserved. A little trivia: Who choreographed the cheerleader sequences? You know it. Miss Paula Abdul.