 Spacey loosely based Lester 's early " schlubby " deportment on Walter Matthau . During the film , Lester 's physique improves from flabby to toned ; Spacey worked out during filming to improve his body , but because Mendes shot the scenes out of chronological order , Spacey varied postures to portray the stages . Before filming , Mendes and Spacey analyzed Jack Lemmon 's performance in The Apartment ( 1960 ) , because Mendes wanted Spacey to emulate " the way [ Lemmon ] moved , the way he looked , the way he was in that office and the way he was an ordinary man and yet a special man " . Spacey 's voiceover is a throwback to Sunset Boulevard ( 1950 ) , which is also narrated in retrospect by a dead character . Mendes felt it evoked Lester 's — and the film 's — loneliness . Bening recalled women from her youth to inform her performance : " I used to babysit constantly . You 'd go to church and see how people present themselves on the outside , and then be inside their house and see the difference . " Bening and a hair stylist collaborated to create a " PTA president coif " hairstyle , and Mendes and production designer Naomi Shohan researched mail @-@ order catalogs to better establish Carolyn 's environment of a " spotless suburban manor " . To help Bening get into Carolyn 's mindset , Mendes gave her music that he believed Carolyn would like . He lent Bening the Bobby Darin version of the song " Don 't Rain on My Parade " , which she enjoyed and persuaded the director to include it for a scene in which Carolyn sings in her car . 
 Spacey loosely based Lester <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>early " schlubby " deportment on Walter Matthau . During the film , Lester <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>physique <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>improves</mark></a> from flabby to toned ; Spacey worked out during filming to improve his body , but because Mendes shot the scenes out of chronological order , Spacey varied postures to portray the stages . Before filming , Mendes and Spacey analyzed Jack Lemmon <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>performance in The Apartment ( 1960 ) , because Mendes wanted Spacey to emulate " the way [ Lemmon ]<a href='been_done' title='5'><mark></mark></a> moved , the way he looked , the way he was in that office and the way he was an ordinary man and yet a special man " . Spacey <a href='null_genetive' title='6'><mark>'s</mark></a>voiceover <a href='drop_aux' title='7'><mark>is</mark></a>a throwback to Sunset Boulevard ( 1950 ) , which is also narrated in retrospect by a dead character . Mendes felt it evoked Lester <a href='null_genetive' title='8'><mark>'s</mark></a>— and the film <a href='null_genetive' title='9'><mark>'s</mark></a>— loneliness . Bening recalled women from her youth to inform her performance : " I used to babysit constantly . You 'd go to church and see how people present themselves on the outside , and then be inside their house and see the difference . " Bening and a hair stylist collaborated to create a " PTA president coif " hairstyle , and Mendes and production designer Naomi Shohan researched mail @-@ order catalogs to better establish Carolyn <a href='null_genetive' title='10'><mark>'s</mark></a>environment of a " spotless suburban manor " . To help Bening get into Carolyn <a href='null_genetive' title='11'><mark>'s</mark></a>mindset , Mendes gave her music <a href='null_relcl' title='12'><mark>that</mark></a>he believed Carolyn would like . He lent Bening the Bobby Darin version of the song " Don 't Rain on My Parade " , which she enjoyed and persuaded the director to include it for a scene in which Carolyn <a href='uninflect' title='13'><mark>sings</mark></a> in her car . 
Spacey loosely based Lester  early " schlubby " deportment on Walter Matthau . During da film , Lester  physique improve from flabby to toned ; Spacey worked out durin filming to improve his body , but because Mendes shot tdascenes outt of chronological order , Spacey varied postures to portray the stages . Before filming , Mendes and Spacey analyzed Jack Lemmon  performance in The Apartment ( 1960 ) , because Mendes wanted Spacey to emulate " the way [ Lemmon ] done moved , the way he looked , the way he was in that office and the way he was an ordinary man and yet a special man " . Spacey  voiceover a throwback to Sunset Boulevard ( 1950 ) , which is also narrated in retrospect by a dead character . Mendes felt it evoked Lester  — and thdailm  — loneliness . Bening recalled women from her youth to inform her performance : " I used to babysit constantly . yu 'd go to church and see how people present themselves on the outside , and then be inside their house and see the difference . " Bening and a hair stylist collaborated to create a " PTA president coif " hairstyle , and Mendes and production designer keke Shohan researched mail @-@ order catalogs to betta establish Carolyn  environment of a " spotless suburban manor " . To help Bening get into Carolyn  mindset , Mendes gave her music he believed Carolyn would like . He lent Bening thedabby Darin version of the dag " Don 't Rain on mah Parade " , which she enjoyed and persuaded the ddactor to include it fir a scene in which Carolyn sing in her car .