posted
Has anyone seen this yet? It was fantastic. It's nothing I'd write a paper on, but it had a great balance of black comedy, unrighteous morals, and character development. The little girl in particular, Abigail Breslin, carried the movie. Just... everything was right. It didn't move me or leave me overly affected, but then, that's not what it was meant to do.
It wasn't perfect, but I don't remember enjoying a movie this much in a long time. Tell me someone else saw it.
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
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I saw this last week. I thought it was wonderful. The audience at the theatre was roaring. I told my dad he needed to go and see it. I agree - the little girl was perfect. Everyone was great, though. I love that Greg Kinnear is in it, an Toni Collete is completely amazing.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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I'll see it when I get back to New York--it doesn't open in Cleveland until August 18. But I've wanted to see it ever since I saw the trailer with Steve Carell.
Posts: 170 | Registered: Mar 2001
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I haven't laughed so hard in years. When I left the movie I had a headache from laughing so hard. Great time had by all.
Posts: 796 | Registered: Mar 2005
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Saw it Friday, as it's open here in Tucson. I went with some friends, and at least three of us were nearly rolling around on the ground in tears from laughing so hard.
I loved Dwayne. So much.
Posts: 3932 | Registered: Sep 1999
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Just got back from seeing it. I knew it would be funny just by the reaction it's gotten here, but I never expected to feel so much for these characters. They all were wonderful. But I really want to take the Olive and just run at some points in the movie. Posts: 601 | Registered: Sep 2002
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I had so much fun watching this movie. All of the characters were so terrific, and that girl who played Olive was unbelievable.
Posts: 4292 | Registered: Jan 2001
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Wow. I just saw this movie last night and I thought it was genius. The last 20 min of the movie I just laughed the entire time. So funny.
Posts: 1789 | Registered: Jul 2003
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I just looked on IMDB, I didn't realize Olive played the little girl with all the water glasses in Signs!
Posts: 601 | Registered: Sep 2002
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I was going to comment on the movie, but everyone basically said exactly what i was going to: that i laughed so hard i cried, and that i haven't enjoyed a movie so much in a while.
Posts: 3516 | Registered: Sep 2002
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It's showing in a couple theaters around here, I've been meaning to see it, and with all these glowing reviews, I think it just jumped to the top of my list of movies to see.
My cousin saw it in Houston, and they had a Q&A with the director right after the movie. She said it was really good too. Can't wait to see it!
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Before I saw the movie, I could not tell what the movie was about from the trailers they show on tv. I did visit the movie's site and watched the trailer there and figured out the basic plot. Now I have seen the movie and thought I'd share what the movie is about in general terms for those who are deciding whether or not to see it.
A young girl unexpectedly gets the opportunity to compete in a national beauty competition a few states away. Her entire family including an uncle and grandpa travels to the competition with her in an old VW bus and have many adventures along the way. Each of the main characters have major problems ranging from suicidal attempts and loss of employment to drug addiction to teenage angst, etc. The father of the family is a motivational speaker who is very judgmental of "losers".
One take home message of the movie is that life is like a beauty pagent in that we are constantly being evaluated by others and are often found lacking, but one way to successfully cope with this situation is to in effect say "Screw You" to the judgmental world and enjoy doing it.
Posts: 264 | Registered: Nov 2005
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Oh, I am so glad I, and the theater full of people I saw it with, were not the only ones to risk pants-wetting to see this movie. As many have mentioned, I have not eve laughed as hard through so much of a movie.
Alan Arkin was amazing. Oh, my, they all were.
(I was very creeped out by the beauty pageant, which was weird to watch with the whole Jonbenet thing resurfacing)
One of the best characters was the VW bug, though. Ha. The beeping. We had a car that did that, but not with that little wimpy honk. I just busted out laughing every time it went off.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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Here is what the never-failing reviewers at Focus on the Family have to say
quote: [quoting film makers] "we wanted to make a film not about family values, but about the value of family."
It shouldn't be so easy to separate the two.
However, it clearly is. Is FoF admiting to what everyone else already knew, that it is a meaningless relic designed only to promote a false image of 1960s America? That they can join a group with the Bavarian Christian Social Union and talk about how outdated they are?
Am I the only one who would pay for this?
I laughed so hard at the great acting, the m.c. chaneling Eric Idle's sleezeball m.c. act was great, as was the porn-loving cop.
Highest praise though, must go to Paul Dano, who manages to be one of the best actors in a great cast, even though he doesn't speak for the first half.
Posts: 1332 | Registered: Apr 2005
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Y'know, it didn't even occur to me to be traumatized at the beauty pageant parts, because it was all just so perfectly ridiculous. It made me laugh seeing all the makeup on the little girls.
Though, I had the same reaction (for the same reason) at the Crazy 88 part of Kill Bill.. I was laughing uproarously the entire scene, while some of my friends were trying not to throw up.
Posts: 3636 | Registered: Oct 2001
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