this week's monday movie is up for four academy awards, including best movie and best supporting actress and actor.yes...i'm talking about Little Miss Sunshine...starring Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carrell, Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin, and Paul Dano. it's the story of the Hoover family. the father, Richard (Kinnear), is an out of touch motivational speaker who is one step away from hitting the big time (in his own mind). Sheryl, played by the great Toni Collette, is the embattled mother who is desperately trying to keep some order within the family. Frank (Carrell), Sheryl's brother, is a Proustian scholar. He has come to stay w/ the Hoovers after being released from the hospital where he was being treated for an attempted suicide over a failed affair with one of his male grad students. Dwayne Hoover (Paul Dano), is the 15 year-old son who has sworn to a vow of silence until he is accepted into the Air Force. Grandpa Edwin (Alan Arkin) is Richard's foul mouthed, heroin snorting, and ever belligerent father who helps Olive (Abigail Breslin) with her dance routines for the local adolescent beauty pageants.
the movie chronicles this "unique" family and their haphazard (yet soul searching) journey across the southwest, from Albuquerque to Redondo Beach, CA...where the Little Miss Sunshine pageant is being held that weekend. it's a study on how the family unit and its jumbled pieces remain intact (and even strengthen) during the most tumultuous times. initially, you wonder (out loud) how such a crazy family doesn't simply implode, until you realize that most of our families are just as dysfunctional and that the "blood is thicker than water" cliché rings true because every family has to suppress its homicidal tendencies for things to work out during crises.
definitely one of the funniest movies of the past year. what a great cast! the chemistry between them was flawless; simply a well oiled acting machine. ya gotta love 'em...especially Alan Arkin's portrayal of an oversexed and very glib grandfather. he is truly one of the industry's most underrated actors. and Abigail Breslin has come a long way since her first role as a minister's daughter who fears idle glasses of water, constantly referring to them as being 'contaminated.'
if you haven't seen the movie...run to netflixx and add it to your queue! make sure it's not on an incline though ;)
1 comment:
I thought movie was cute-- but wasn't as enamoured of it as you were. As for AB being nominated for an award--I was kind of surprised at that I guess.
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