Little Miss Sunshine!

[Kam]

Well... here's another reccomendation! This has a much wider release than Half Nelson, so it should be available in most markets (i think). Its another great, refreshing, and really funny story. Everyone just gives phenomenal performances and you get to see another side to Steve Carrel. This guy is one seriously talented dude. Greg Kinnear is great but Alan Arkin really steals the show with his performance. Although the little girl (who played mel gibson's daughter in Signs) is also just heartbreakingly cute and just so darn good. And the ending is right up there with Napolean Dynamite.

The plot is about a lil girl who wins (by default) a regional beauty pageant and so gets entered into the bigger cali pageant. They have to drive cross state (from AZ) to get there on the same weekend that greg kinnear's character is waiting to hear from his partner if he gets a publishing deal on his self-help 9-steps-to-a-better-you type thing. Meanwhile, Carrel is dealing with a suicide attempt, Alan Arkin is a heroin snorting grandfather coaching the lil girl on her talent routine, and toni collette (the mom from 6th sense, another freakin great performance) is trying to hold everyone together including the son who's taken a vow of silence and idolizes nietzche. It's a great dysfunctional family dramedy that just keeps getting funnier as it builds to the pageant.

Highly highly reccomended!

peace
k2

[audiobill]

Well... here's another reccomendation! This has a much wider release than Half Nelson, so it should be available in most markets (i think). Its another great, refreshing, and really funny story. Everyone just gives phenomenal performances and you get to see another side to Steve Carrel. This guy is one seriously talented dude. Greg Kinnear is great but Alan Arkin really steals the show with his performance. Although the little girl (who played mel gibson's daughter in Signs) is also just heartbreakingly cute and just so darn good. And the ending is right up there with Napolean Dynamite.

The plot is about a lil girl who wins (by default) a regional beauty pageant and so gets entered into the bigger cali pageant. They have to drive cross state (from AZ) to get there on the same weekend that greg kinnear's character is waiting to hear from his partner if he gets a publishing deal on his self-help 9-steps-to-a-better-you type thing. Meanwhile, Carrel is dealing with a suicide attempt, Alan Arkin is a heroin snorting grandfather coaching the lil girl on her talent routine, and toni collette (the mom from 6th sense, another freakin great performance) is trying to hold everyone together including the son who's taken a vow of silence and idolizes nietzche. It's a great dysfunctional family dramedy that just keeps getting funnier as it builds to the pageant.

Highly highly reccomended!

peace
k2

Thanks-a-ton for a great review and recdn, Kam.

I'm going to check it out this weekend. It sounds like it's the kind of film I'd enjoy.

Cheers,

audiobill

[ForeverAutumn]

This one is getting an automatic viewing from me just because of Steve Carrell. I watched the 40-yr-old Virgin again last week and laughed as though I was seeing it for the first time. He's brilliant IMO.

I'm hoping to see it this weekend as well.

[GMichael]

Thanks for the review Kam. I'll check it out.

[ForeverAutumn]

I just got home from seeing this flick. Totally entertaining from start to finish. I second Kam's high recommendation.