the hot topics of the plot are relegated to the background -- a welcome step forward from the sally jesse raphael atmosphere of films like philadelphia and american beauty . 
(ROOT (S (NP (NP (DT the) (JJ hot) (NNS topics)) (PP (IN of) (NP (DT the) (NN plot)))) (VP (VBP are) (VP (VP (VBN relegated) (PP (IN to) (NP (DT the) (NN background)))) (, --) (NP (DT a) (JJ welcome) (NN step) (ADVP (RB forward) (PP (IN from) (NP (NP (DT the) (NML (NN sally) (NN jesse) (NN raphael)) (NN atmosphere)) (PP (IN of) (NP (NP (NNS films)) (PP (IN like) (NP (NP (NNP philadelphia)) (CC and) (NP (JJ american) (NN beauty)))))))))))) (. .)))
(ROOT (S (NP (NP (DT ) (JJ ) (NNS )) (PP (IN ) (NP (DT ) (NN )))) (VP (VBP ) (VP (VP (VBN ) (PP (IN ) (NP (DT ) (NN )))) (, ) (NP (DT ) (JJ ) (NN ) (ADVP (RB ) (PP (IN ) (NP (NP (DT ) (NML (NN ) (NN ) (NN )) (NN )) (PP (IN ) (NP (NP (NNS )) (PP (IN ) (NP (NP (NNP )) (CC ) (NP (JJ ) (NN )))))))))))) (. )))