Well, I saw this movie and thought it was very funny! So funny, that I'm taking the family to see it again. It is very twisted, the characters don't have any redeeming qualities, yet they all pull together in the end.
I can't say too much without giving it away, but it does shine a kleig light on the ridiculousness of beauty pagents for children.
And isn't that what you want in entertainment, to see people with no redeeming qualities pull together? Not moi. I see that too darn much of that in real life. I ain't gonna pay nine bucks to watch it.
This movie could have been excellent, but goes way downhill when the grandfather dies.
The charaters do not have redeemable qualities, and are not redeemed at the end of the film. They are, losers in the end as they were in the beginning, and you have to think they will kill each other on the slow trip back home.
Also when the grandfather dies, what happens till they get to the hotel is not very believable, and really less than funny, original, or believable.
The pageant and the little girl's recital are an interesting and hilarious commentary on such events (why are the attendees and judges outraged at her dance when it is really all the same thing), but it really does little in the end to redeem anyone in the film...except to show the highly probably fate of innocent, lovable Olive in such an environment.
My mother said the AARP had a review calling it "fun for the whole familiy" which I finf very difficult to digest. Alot of marketing dollors were spent on this film. Alan Arkin is superb, Greg Kenear is absolutely horrible as always. There is even a scen with Kenear on the phone talking to someone, only he puts the phone down before he says a line - I was surprised the director missed that.
Jon Benet Ramsey has done a pretty good job of that.
I have seen reviews of this movie from many sources... seems to me those that sit down to watch know what they are getting into.
This reviewer clearly sat down knowing he was going to be offended and tried to document each and every reason why, justifiable or not.
From the multitude of reviews I've seen, this one looks like it will be a renter... obviously for adults only.