Posted on 09/03/2006 8:38:11 AM PDT by pabianice
Hollywood is all abuzz about “Little Miss Sunshine,” a deftly presented piece of porn pretending to be a “heart-warming Oscar contender.” The bubbly adjectives simply swirl about this recent release: “brilliant, deftly drawn, heartwarming, raucous, superb, human, engrossing, fun, ingenious, brilliantly hysterical, warm, moving, endearing,” and more. The truth is far less sunny. “Little Miss Sunshine” is a $10 million kiddie porn movie that displays just how rotten Hollywood has become and just how far its powerbrokers have moved from America. That it was the hit of the Sundance Festival was pre-ordained.
It’s hard to know where to begin in talking about this movie and what it tells us about the current business of making movies. The cast is, to be fair, very good, the direction competent, the scene dressing excellent. But the movie itself is tasteless and basically disgraceful, an updated version of “All in the Family,” in which evil, stupid Red America is brought up short by savvy, hip Blue America. Alan Arkin plays grandpa, an aging bum who snorts heroin (yuk, yuk) and was expelled from his nursing home because he is a dangerous, in-your-face loser who counsels others to live irresponsibly. One of his character’s two sons has just tried to kill himself because he was jilted by his gay lover (audience eyes tear up because it’s so, you know, sensitive and, you know, PC). The other son is a financially failed, unsuccessful huckster of a step program for self-improvement who is taken advantage of by Evil Big Business. The teenage grandson is apparently a lunatic who is determined to get into the Air Force Academy and who has taken a vow of silence until he is accepted (that there is a huge poster of an F-18 – a Navy airplane – on his bedroom wall clearly escaped the schmucks who produced this film). We never learn how he plans to do well in high school while refusing to speak. In one violent sequence we learn what potential US military officers are really like when this clueless, friendless loner goes berserk. Nice touch, Hollywood.
And then there is the grand daughter, Olive, a perky seven-year-old who becomes the winner of a local talent contest when the winner is disqualified for what sounds like doping (although we aren’t sure). Olive has a routine of which we remain uninformed until the final sequence. During the 800-mile cross-country drive in a rolling deathtrap of a VW minibus (so, so, 60s! you know), grandpa dies of a heroin overdose while baby-sitting Olive (Manson family values are on display everywhere in this film), so the family steals his body from the hospital, wraps him in a sheet, and stuffs him in the back of the bus. This sequence simply sparkles with the kind of wit for which Hollywood has become so justifiably famous and was getting old when it was done in “National Lampoon’s Vacation” thirty years ago. Of course, the bus is stopped by a cop on the road, but no problem. The cop is, as are all cops, you know, a leering, loathsome policeman who, upon finding a stash of porn magazines, trades some comments with dad that are so uncomfortable for the audience as to make grandpa’s death look like an episode of “Teletubbies.”
He does seem to over-react to the slightest disagreement.
Oh you're most welcomed, liberal.
...so I'm a bit perplexed as to why they'd want to see 8 year olds acting like 18 year olds.
Same effect as William Wegman photos for those observers who aren't creeps. Freakish in a "cute" way...
And should I ever have the humbling honor of ever meeting with Prince Banadar, I would let him know how much I agree with his perspective. He is an enlightened man ... a precious rarity in any modern society, sadly. BTW, bert, never need to apologize to me for comparing something I might write with the likes of Prince Bandar ... why apologize for paying someone a compliment, bert?
Let me just offer a different viewpoint of the author's main points of outrage, the characters.
1. The grandpa: Yes, he is a heroin addict. But this isn't portrayed in a way to make him look glamorous or humorous, it makes him look pathetic. His death shows the consequences of his addiction, which is magnified by the fact that he isn't able to see Olive's performance. His addiction is also the result of being sent away to a nursing home, which I saw as a pretty strong indictment against those who want to pass off the burden of caring for their elders.
2. Frank (the gay brother): His obsession for his student is portrayed as pathetic and weird. Not once did I feel like I the directors were trying to elicit sympathy for his suicide attempt. And his sexuality was really in the background for most of the movie. He's much more memorable as the sarcastic professor type than the gay man.
3. The dad: He's unsuccessful, but it's also clear that he's highly driven and that he cares about his kids and wife. I didn't detect any subtle socio-political statements involved in his background, and I'm particularly perceptive of these things. His plight wasn't a dig against Big Business; his agent just couldn't get his program to sell. That happens in real life quite often.
4. The son: I'm amazed he's even mentioned. Here is a young man that wants to join the military, that's obviously trying to do whatever he thinks will help him, and this is seen as something bad? Yes, his training is a little weird, but it's all for the purpose of being able to go to the Air Force Academy. His parents even support his determination and his goal. Anyone who actually sees the film would understand completely why he goes "berserk," and would see his reaction as totally normal for a boy his age. I just can't believe that showing a kid with a zeal to become a pilot- WITH his family's support- is anything BUT Red State.
5. Olive: This one also eludes me. She's a very normal little girl...in fact, too normal for the beauty pageant. Her routine is provocative, but is nowhere near pornographic. Like other Freepers have mentioned, the whole point of her routine in the film is to expose the weirdness and absurdity of these child beauty pageants. Even still, it doesn't come close to pornography. Anyone who thinks it does should be advocating that ALL child beauty pageants be shut down as illegal sex shows.
There's no Red v. Blue in Little Miss Sunshine. It's clear that all the family members love each other, that they all want to help each other, and that they want to protect each other. You'd have to go into the movie actively looking for political slights to find any.
I agree that the characters aren't perfect and the family is dysfunctional at times. But that's how families are in reality, and that's what made me identify with them. Movies like this are a good way to get family values across to people who might skip the wholesome, "perfect family" movies out there. Not every family lives in abundance and perpetual peace. Not every kid is a perfectly behaved, well-adjusted individual. It's nice to see families like that, but sometimes its nice to see ones that resemble my own, too.
I don't there is anything evil when a movie recognizes that humanity is flawed. And I'd say there's a lot of good in a movie showing people that they can still do good, even if they are flawed. I suggest watching Little Miss Sunshine, if you haven't already. Leave the kids at home, go in with an open mind, and see if you like it.
If you do, you might thank me. If you don't, just complain to the manager and ask for your money back. That way, you won't be supporting Hollywood, AND you'll make a stronger point to the theater. Eight bucks handed back to the customer stings more than eight bucks that's never spent there.
Do you yell out the door at kids when they cross your lawn ?
No it is not one movie. It is a nonstop 24 hours all channels full bore commie sleezefest...
Who is your cable provider and what does the Weather Channel look like in your neck of the woods?
Secondhand Lions was excellent.
It has nothing to do with Pedophilia... Go see the movie and find out... Jaysus!!!
Well said...
I went to the movie ready for the best. I was disappointed. But Kiddie Porn? I invoke the BS alarm.
Dang you got me there....
I guess I'm hopeless. It put me into a deep sleep, but my husband enjoyed it, and when I woke up he said it was good.
See the movies you want to and leave others alone if you don't want to see them. Just don't make yourself out to be morally superior to those who do see the film.
Sounds like half a dozen characters in search of a plot...
I seen the movie and is in 100% agreement with your review. My main complaint about the movie was just that it was depressing alot of the time. Kind of like "About Schmitt" or "As Good as it Gets" or "The Full Monty" they seem to only have bad things happen most of the time. The Granddad dies, the kid learns he can't go fly fighter jets, the father don't get the book deal, Olive don't win the beauty contest.
You still laugh at the funny parts but you leave the theater a little down.
Michael Medved said to see it.....don't take the kids.
any other movie recommendations would be appreciated. Is there a general Freeper movie recommendation thread?
I stand by the original post. This unfunny shipwreck of a movie is the pits.
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