The name of the central character in the film American Beauty; adroitly portrayed by Kevin Spacey. Essentially, the story is a retelling of several classics, like Death of a Salesman, and Lolita. The movie acknowledges this in wry ways: the former next door neighbors are referred to as the Lomans, a reference to Willy Loman, tragic figure of Death of a Salesman. The name Lester Burnham is itself an anagram for "Humbert Learns", after the character, Humbert Humbert, from Lolita.