You've probably already heard that Little Miss Sunshine is a good movie. CC concurs, FWIW.

I believe the first trailer I saw for Little Miss Sunshine was back in May or so and before the new X-men movie. I said to theCSO, "I have to see that movie." TheCSO grumbled that it wasn't his sort of thing.

The movie isn't particularly well advertised, but I saw several more trailers and each time thought, "I have to see that movie!"

Having seen it just last night with LinguistFriend, I'm telling you now. "Y'all have to see this movie."

Perhaps this well-written, well-acted, well-directed satire on the American ideal of "winners" versus "losers" hit me so hard because it was a jolt of needed perspective to someone who is low-level freaking out about her law school applications. Having some experience with dysfunction myself helps, too.

My sense of humor is exteremely non-slapstick, so there were times when that aspect was a little much for me, but even those fit with the characters and were less painful than I usually find slapstick.

The comedy itself is dark and in places a little mean, but I don't think I've ever seen a family in a movie who loved each other as much as the Hoovers do. At one point as they are all push starting the bus and helping each other jump on, I realized that the feeling of teamwork and mutual support they showed was what we're trying to induce with those cheesy ropes courses we make the YRUU kids do.

And the parody of pageants was spot on. I have no experience with beauty pageants whatsoever yet judging by this and Drop Dead Gorgeous*, I like movies that make fun of them. Perhaps that's the plain girl in me talking.

CC

*Drop Dead Gorgeous is funnier and is more directly a comedy than Little Miss Sunshine, but it doesn't have much soul. Both movies are really good in different ways.