American Beauty really got me thinking about what purpose means. It seems to suggest there’s incredible loveliness in everyday moments, and sometimes you have to pause to truly appreciate things like a plastic bag blowing around or just messing with leaves. The movie wants its viewers to understand that the beauty found in these small details is far more significant than what society usually considers beautiful. The roses featured throughout are meant to represent a superficial kind of attractiveness; they’re an expensive, romantic image that appears frequently, prompting us to look past outward appearances and find something deeper. This idea about beauty is reinforced by the rose on the movie poster and the tagline "look closer," which implies you have to put some thought into it to see real beauty, rather than just making quick judgments based on looks.

Source on TMDB