"This isn't life. This is just stuff. And it's become more important to you than living. Well, that's just nuts!." That's what `American Beauty' has to say about the human condition.

"American Beauty" portrays the intertwining lives of two families - the Burnhams and the Fittses - in American suburbia, both of which are clouded by the notion that materialistic ideals and projecting a superficial outer image take more priority than emotional relationships. Sam Mendes's film concerns itself with a myriad of characters seeming to be searching for some sense of meaning in a life in which they are helplessly confined. The notion of materialism and image being more important than human relationships is clearly evident throughout the film, as is the true nature of beauty and the ability to take second chances - all of which are clearly linked to the essence of the human condition.

The...