Movie review: "Little Miss Sunshine" for those who grieve

[CTyankee]

This is a knockout movie, but in a very non-knockout way. If you are in the midst of personal and political grief, as I am right now, this is what you need. At first it seems alarming ("I was told it is a comedy!"), but then you begin to see what is unfolding: a comedy-as-desperation look at an American family, holding unrealistic ideas about life but also holding whatever real "family values" truly exist in this world. It is, in the trite overused term, "authentic." You just know it.

I felt as if this movie had been made by a Frenchman who doesn't like America very much, sardonic, black humored. But I found it strangely uplifting and even comforting, even with its surreal (and scary)kiddy beauty pageant. The stuff of true art is here, folks. Do not miss this movie. If you are in despair, go immediately, do not wait.

[CBHagman]

1. Thanks, CTyankee.

I have it on my must-see list, but your post is a good wake-up call. I'll have pencil it in and lumber over to the theater this week.

Thanks! :hi:

[joneschick]

2. we just saw it last night

and we all loved it! We laughed (hysterically sometimes) and I cried (several times). Yes, the beauty pageant was awful, but for all the set up, it was a mercifully small part of the real story. Wonderful movie. When it comes out on dvd, we will probably buy it for our library. And then we saw The Black Dahlia...........what a yucky mess.

[CTyankee]

3. I was going to see Dahlia but changed my mind

after I saw the reviews. I love noir films and just saw "Hollywoodland" and was eager to compare/contrast it with Dahlia. Now, no. I'll go see the "Illusionist" instead.

[zonkers]

4. Saw it. With my mom. We really laughed. Let me reflect on LMS right

along wit you... You're right it is true art that it constantly defied expectation, you just never knew what to expect. It kept shifting gears. A hilarious and heartwarming film, it is about a screwed up family sticking together in the face of all their fucked-up ness, kind of like everyone's family I think. LMS was quirky without being pretentious and it always felt like it was going to fall apart but it never did, probably due to its wonderful performances. The actors, a combination of veterans and new faces were so locked and so believable. Every character stole your heart. If I had one complaint, it might have been the ending but I won't go into it.

[amitten]

5. I think it'll end up being a cult classic.

One of my top ten movies...ever.

In our current world of shallow materialism and thinly veiled hatred toward our fellow man, it is a big dose of "realness" that brings you back down to earth. This movie will make you laugh and cry, but most of all it makes you want to be more genuine in your own life.

People are just people, and we're all in this together. This movie is an elegantly quirky reminder of that basic truth.

[Beausoir]

6. A quirky, wonderful film.

The actors were marvelous. I felt like they took me along for the drive.

Really an interesting experience.

[GCP]

7. "Did I mention that I'm the country's fore-most Proust scholar?"

LOL - great movie!

[tigereye]

8. it is oddly inspiring, kind of like no matter how fucked up everything is

somehow it will all work out. In a surreal and somewhat disturbing way. I have never seen a movie quite like it...

[CTyankee]

9. To me, it was obvious that this movie was done by adults who

had a humanistic outlook on life. These were well educated people who knew something abut history and the world and weren't taken in by the latest fad.

I appreciated the fact that my intelligence had not been insulted and that I had not wasted nearly 2 hours of my life on a piece of garbage. As I grow older, I get angrier and angrier at movies that do this.

It is why I go to so few movies.