Little Miss Sunshine

Rated R for: language, some sex and drug content
Running Time: 1 hr., 41 min.
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin

Rating: Three stars [out of four]

In theaters now


There are very few quirky comedies out there that actually work. Most of the time they end up too sappy or try to cram a message down your throat to the point that you're gasping for air.

That's why it's so refreshing when a movie like Little Miss Sunshine comes along, that manages to make you feel good without insulting its audience's intelligence. It's happy but not too happy. The characters are three-dimensional and the story is creative. Hollywood executives take note.

At the beginning of the movie, we are introduced to the Hoovers. A "normal" family they're not. Mother Sheryl [Toni Collette] is at the end of her emotional rope trying to keep her husband Richard [Greg Kinnear], who is a winner-take-all, emotionally destructive "motivator" in line. Richard's father Edwin [Alan Arkin] is in the twilight years of his life, and is addicted to heroin. Son Dwayne [Paul Dano] has taken a vow of silence after he starts reading Nietzsche. And, then, there's Sheryl's brother Frank [Steve Carell], who, at the start of the film, is just being released from the hospital after a failed suicide attempt. Believe it or not, this is a comedy, and a feel- good comedy at that [you'll have to trust me on this.]

The only one who seems even halfway normal is little Olivia [Abigail Breslin] who finds out that she is qualified to enter the Little Miss Sunshine competition in California, about seven hundred miles away.

The family [reluctantly, for some] piles into an old VW van and head off for California. Of course, complications due to both family dynamic as well as problems outside their control ensue.

Yes, this is territory that's been covered before, but what really sets this film apart is its honesty and creativity. The characters are nicely drawn out and acted, and never feel like one dimensional jokes, which, in lesser hands, they could have easily turned into.

You can credit that to co-directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, and, of course, to the cast, who all do terrific jobs keeping the blood flowing through their alter-egos.



There are two stand-outs here, however, that need to be spotlighted. Steve Carell, who has come such a long way since his start with The Daily Show, keeps his comedic expressions to a minimum, highlighting his dramatic acting ability here. He is a man lost and alone, and doesn't have much dialogue expressing this inner turmoil at all. Yet, despite that it isn't mentioned directly all that much [no big scenery chewing speeches here from Mr. Carell] you can always sense that something is deeply amiss with him. The haunted look in his eyes never leaves, and, as with all great actors, it's what is between the lines that expresses so much. His hurt is so tangible you almost want to cry.

Then there's the young Abigail Breslin who really stands out here as Olivia. She's given two scenes where she really gets a chance to show off her acting chops, and she nails it perfectly. She's one of the young actresses who I hope goes on to have a long career, she deserves it.

The film can sometimes seem a tad typical, but never for long. For as many times as I figured out what was going to happen next, there were plot twists that I didn't see coming at all. Funny most of the time, thoroughly entertaining all the way through, Little Miss Sunshine doesn't break any new ground, but treads the old in an interesting and fresh way. You'll walk away feeling as if this was two hours well spent, and you won't feel like you were hit in the head with too much sappiness [though a bit does tend to leak through here or there.]

We need more films like this. Here's hoping.

Jackass 2

Rated R for: Crude and dangerous stunts, sexual content, nudity and language
Running Time: 1 hr., 35 min.
Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Ryan Dunn

Rating: Three stars [out of four]

In theaters now


I have never seen the show Jackass in its entirety. When it first started, I saw a few minutes of the premier episode and decided it was not for me. I could think of many other things to do with my time than watch a bunch of guys get in shopping carts and get pushed into walls.

The stupid, sophomoric show didn't interest me in the least. So, when some friends from work asked me to join them in seeing the first Jackass movie with them, I politely declined. When my brother bought the DVD and asked me to watch it with him, I did the same.

Then, a few months later, I was sitting around bored one day and thought, "Oh, what the hell?" I popped in the DVD, expecting mild chuckles at best, and was absolutely floored by my reaction- I was laughing. This was funny. This was really funny. In fact, it was the funniest movie I had seen in a long, long time.

So I was more than excited when Jackass 2 came out yesterday. This time I was going to go to the theater and see this thing with an audience, because comedies seem to work best with a crowd of people.

I wasn't sure whether this would be as good as the original. It turns out my fears were not needed.

You will either love Jackass 2 or you will hate it. There's no in between. If the thought of guys pulling pranks on each other [and, most of the time, they are pranks in which people get badly hurt] doesn't sound amusing, this probably isn't for you. If you have a weak stomach, don't want to see full on male frontal nudity for an hour and a half or if you are offended by bestiality [yes, you read that right, though it's not quite as bad as you're probably thinking]- then this movie is not for you.

See, this is as stupid as movies get. There is no plot here. It's just stunt after stunt after stunt, each funnier, grosser and more painful to watch than the last. But if you can shut off your brain and just enjoy it for what it is, you'll find yourself clutching your stomach and struggling to catch your breath. This is America's Funniest Home Videos with balls.

There aren't too many stunts I can actually mention here on my blog, or in mixed company, for that matter. But there are a few I can divulge. How about a little person bungee jumping? Doesn't sound too crazy, huh? Well, what if I told you that said little person's bungee cord wasn't attached to a solid object, but rather to a very large man on top of a bridge? You can see where this is going. Or how about watching one of the guys getting marred, full on, by a stampeding bull? Or a guy strapped into a shopping cart that is sent flying at out of a garage, only for the roll down garage door to be closed at the very last second? Or how about a man getting bitten on the penis by a snake?

Come on, you know that last one caught your attention. Besides the insane stunts that these guys pull off [I swear they shouldn't have survived about half of them] are the gross stunts. Like taking a beer bong rip...from the other hole. Yeah, it's as gross as it sounds. And hilarious.

This is the type of film you get drunk and watch with your friends. Since you can't really go to the theater drunk, you'll just have to settle for the audience participation, which is one of the best parts. You'll find yourself joining everyone around you howling with laughter and clapping repeatedly throughout the film.

The bottom line is that this thing is the funniest movie you'll see all year. Period. Don't miss it.