FILM REVIEW: Little Miss Sunshine

[Rhone]

Greg Kinnear was really good in this, too. The character he was playing was a blowhard, but Kinnear's understated interpretation was just perfect. The extended scene where he slowly realizes that something is horribly wrong about the beauty contest was great.

[troymclur]

The movie was very good, but it ended at the climax. I thought that the family dancing with Olive was a bit much, but i could accept that, however it ended early, the resolution was setup but never absolved.

Other than that, i'm certainly buying this movie on DVD and hoping that the writer that a commentary track.

[fyodor]

Just had a second viewing of this. First time around I loved it. Fresh. Funny. Insightfull. I was hooked from the opening as it introduced characters one at a time, focusing on one thing with each of them; Olive mimicing Miss USA, Dwayne exercising, Grandpa snorting heroin, Richard giving a motivational speech to a sparse, unenthusiastic audience, etc.

The letdown for me was the ending where although I liked the idea of the dance, I just didn't think it came off as well as it could have.

2nd time around I still liked the beginning, but like a lot of comedies, once you know the joke, it's normally not as funny. Might have something to do with why comedies seldom get much play in the best film category. Their rewatchability factor can be low. So I found it dragging a bit through the bulk of the film.

Then a strange thing happened. It got to the end and I enjoyed the dance a lot more the 2nd time around. Maybe I was paying more attention to the whole family pulling together thing this time. Not sure.

[Enrique]

That effect you mention about comedies losing rewatchability doesn't happen to me at all. I laugh a lot the second time too. And comedies are very rewatchable when in bigger groups. Although, maybe you are write that they lose some rewatchability to watch alone.

[fyodor]

Well some comedies hold up a lot better than others. Annie Hall for instance I have watched at least a half dozen times. But in general I believe it's tougher for that genre.

[gdsdiscgolfer]

[ QUOTE ]
Greg Kinnear was really good in this, too. The character he was playing was a blowhard, but Kinnear's understated interpretation was just perfect. The extended scene where he slowly realizes that something is horribly wrong about the beauty contest was great.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought he pulled off that character perfectly. Definitely needs more credit than he gets.

[diebitter]

Pryor, you were right.

Finally caught this, and enjoyed it immensely. What a truly terrific cast, and that little girl was really something else in the acting department.

I too felt the script had a wonderful economy of words, and what could have turned into tirades/monologues was mostly implied in a really tight and exceptional script. For example, the bit where the suicidal uncle and the angry young nephew are at the end of the pier - that could have gone on forever in some screenplays, but here, it's brief, and we get to learn a lot about both characters in a wonderfully short time.

I really missed Grandpa and felt a little robbed when he disappeared instantly is my only grouch.


The bit where the Dad slowly realised what the hell was wrong with these contests was a terrific piece of unspoken acting/film-making - truly outstanding telegraphing of what the guy's thinking with no words at all.

[katyseagull]

I think Greg Kinnear is always good in any role he plays.

I'm desperately trying to remember this film. It's been awhile since I saw it and I can't remember it very clearly. Isn't Tony Colette in this one?

I know what you mean about Grandpa. I hated that part of the film. I wasn't prepared for it and it just didn't feel right to me. I remember thinking that the family seemed real because they all had their own little stresses, which I think is the way most families are. The thing I liked least about the film was the song the little girl did, and actually the whole ending.

Maybe I'll rent it this weekend so I can comment more intelligently on it.

[diebitter]

I would have loved Grandpa to have been there for the dance routine. Oh why did he have to die?

[katyseagull]

[ QUOTE ]
I would have loved Grandpa to have been there for the dance routine. Oh why did he have to die?

[/ QUOTE ]

Aww [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]. There, there, diebitter.