Frank Fitts

Colonel Frank Fitts is an antihero and later main antagonist of the 1999 movie American Beauty.

The retired USA corps colonel, his introverted wife and his eccentric son Ricky come to live next door to the film's protagonists, the Burnham. Fitts first appears as a cold military man, and is gradually shown to be a very strict family man. He and his wife seemingly don't love each other, and barely touch. Also, when he discovers that Ricky has been sneakng inside his trophees room (and found a plate with a swastika on it, implying Fitts has a Nazi heritage), he brutally beats his son with the fists, making him even bleed.

Later, the colonel spies his son visiting the movie's protagonist Lester, and wrongly deduces the two are sexually involved. He confronts and abuses his son again, accusing him of being gay. To hurt his father back, Ricky pretends to be, and Fitts orders him to leave the house.

A completely silent Fitts goes to Lester, who is oblivious to his suspisions and warmly welcomes him. Lester sees his neighbor is in pain and tries to confort him. To his surprise, the colonel kisses him, revealing that he is a closeted homosexual. Lester kindly rejects him. The colonel leaves, still without a word.

In the end of the movie, just when for the first time in years he started to feel good about himself, Lester gets shot in the back of the head. It is revealed that the colonel killed him with a gun from his collection, either because Lester rejected him, or because he still thought Ricky and him had an affair, or simply because he couldn't let live someone who new his deepest secret.

What happened to the colonel afterwards is unknown.