"American Beauty" is indeed a beautiful, intense yet subtle movie. As such, its Best Picture and Best Actor and Best Director awards did represent something of a comment on the movie, especially when it beat out "The Insider" and Russell Crowe in a powerful indictment of the cigarette industry - perhaps there was some money passing beneath the scenes (we'll never know). I can't go so far to say that "American Beauty" is the best movie of all time, and most critics and most posters on this board would probably agree with me, but of course, it would be difficult for anyone to agree on THE best movie of all time. I have mine and it's not on anybody's list so far as I know - "Picnic at Hanging Rock."