As dysfunctional family films go, this is a clever and artistic one. Tolstoy was right to say that the genre is infinite. This film has strong hints of The Royal Tenenbaums: over-the-top characters, bearded men trying to commit suicide, and a similar tendency towards set-piece funny lines. At times, it is very funny indeed.
The first time I watched the film, it was unfortunately interrupted about ten minutes before the end. Only tonight did I finally get to see the conclusion, based on my flatmate Kai’s enviable collection of DVDs.
Little Miss Sunshine is recommended to those who like humour based on bizarre characterization and a have a reasonable tolerance for social criticism and absurdity. While the film is sometimes a bit on the disturbing side, it never comes close to the unwholesomeness of child beauty contests themselves.
PS. This is what my father and I intended to go see, only to find ourselves watching The Devil Wears Prada.
Yes. He looks like a pretty evil version of Galdalf. Still, reading Anna Karenina in the New York Public Library was an excellent experience.
Incidentally, the last few minutes of the film are definitely the best part.
Wow. The Wikipedia page makes Tolstoy look utterly insane.
Now I have ‘Superfreak’ stuck in my head.