Okay, so, I saw this movie last night. Heard it was the funniest film of the year, unanimous reviews praising it's comedic nature. I found out it was a dark comedy soon afterwards, and immediately began to compare it to The Royal Tenenbaums, which was extremely hilarious. I found that LMS was just too light-hearted, pulled too many punches. I rarely laughed during the film and I just cannot understand how it's the "best comedy of the year".
Could anyone explain the humor I was missing out on? Steve Carell was damn funny, I admit.
i agree with you entirely. i couldn't understand why i felt so different than all the other people who laughed with glee until i read this review.
Limited to one theater, and limited to movies starting after ten, I saw Little Miss Sunshine. Far as I can tell, it's a remake of National Lampoon's Vacation designed for the the annoying NPR fucks who listen to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me! and laugh at the non-Lake Wobegon parts of Prairie Home Companion. It's like the movies was written in a parallel universe where the lowbrow comedy of the common man gets a few intemellectual quirks and relabeled as smart and hip.
Like Vacation, Little Miss Sunshine is a cross-country family road movie. In the original, the sadsack dad who thinks the trip will bring his family closer together was played by Chevy Chase. Now, the sadsack dad with the same plan is played by Greg Kinnear. Ah, but the twist is that he's a self-doubting motivational speaker. Good fucking God, that NPR crowd is so clueless they don't know that these types have been punchlines on shitty sketch comedy shows for ten years.
though, there's an excellent "overrated movie" thread nearby that would be perfect for this subject.
i agree with you entirely. i couldn't understand why i felt so different than all the other people who laughed with glee until i read this review.
Limited to one theater, and limited to movies starting after ten, I saw Little Miss Sunshine. Far as I can tell, it's a remake of National Lampoon's Vacation designed for the the annoying NPR fucks who listen to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me! and laugh at the non-Lake Wobegon parts of Prairie Home Companion. It's like the movies was written in a parallel universe where the lowbrow comedy of the common man gets a few intemellectual quirks and relabeled as smart and hip.
Like Vacation, Little Miss Sunshine is a cross-country family road movie. In the original, the sadsack dad who thinks the trip will bring his family closer together was played by Chevy Chase. Now, the sadsack dad with the same plan is played by Greg Kinnear. Ah, but the twist is that he's a self-doubting motivational speaker. Good fucking God, that NPR crowd is so clueless they don't know that these types have been punchlines on shitty sketch comedy shows for ten years.
though, there's an excellent "overrated movie" thread nearby that would be perfect for this subject.
Podlyyou unzipped me! it's all coming back! i don't like it!Registered Userregular
edited December 2006
Little Miss Sunshine is funny and satisfying. It is not the LOL REFERENCE humor and zaniness of Family Guy. It is a very well constructed comedy. I viewed it about 5 times in theaters, and I just got it for christmas. It doesn't get old, because well executed art never does.
Now see, while I wouldn't say Little Miss Sunshine is a favorite movie of mine, I did find it fairly funny/entertaining, but I despied The Royal Tenenbaums. Way boring. I think I laughed maybe twice during it.
As for it being the funniest, I can't really think of another. Maybe Thank You For Smoking, but I can't remember if that falls in the time slot.
It seems to me that movies that aren't advertised as dark comedies (but are), seem to be the winners as to the kinds of movies pitched into the dark comed by fault. See also: Suicide Kings, Grosse Point Blanke, American Psycho.
No, she's not, but you have to admit she's not really beauty queen material.
...though frankly, the idea of a beauty pageant for seven-year-olds is highly disturbing. In fact, I found that entire scene disturbing until the end.
You should find the HBO sepcial on kiddie beauty pagents. If it dosn't turn your stomach, nothing will. FYI: It was on the whole Jon Benet Ramsy ordeal several years ago.
I'll agree that Little Miss Sunshine is not a comedy in the strictest sense. Sure it's a road movie, sure it's dramatic, sure it makes you laugh, but deep down it's just a good movie in my eyes.
The characters are wonderful, and the acting is superb. Honestly, the characters are the reasons I found myself liking the movie so much. They're all so interesting and, dare I say it, believable, that I'm consistently drawn into their stories. Maybe it's the "NPR crowd" in me, but both times I saw it in the theatres I loved it.
All this talk about the four extra endings in the DVD have me excited as well, even though I thought it ended on a pretty appropriate note.
I loathed it, and honestly, I don't know why. I loved Royal Tenenbaums (well, not loved; more, appreciated), and The Life Aquatic is one of my favorite movies. I'm down with "quirky comedic drama." But I hated this movie.
I think it was actually the characters. I hated the stupid emo teenager, the craaaazy uncle is incredibly cliched, Steve Carrel actually was kind of funny, mom and dad were both tepid, and the little girl was both fat and had barely any lines anyway.
Some of those pictures of young girls are just sad.
Syphilisaurus on
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Podlyyou unzipped me! it's all coming back! i don't like it!Registered Userregular
edited December 2006
What's so dark about it? You guys found it dark? I found the movie really uplifting.
Maybe that's more of a reflection on my nature, however.
edit* OK, after typing this, I looked over on my bed and found The Royal Tenenbaums, Little Miss Sunshine, Lost in Translation, and The Squid and the Whale just sitting there. Irony + Karma = lol
i agree with you entirely. i couldn't understand why i felt so different than all the other people who laughed with glee until i read this review.
Limited to one theater, and limited to movies starting after ten, I saw Little Miss Sunshine. Far as I can tell, it's a remake of National Lampoon's Vacation designed for the the annoying NPR fucks who listen to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me! and laugh at the non-Lake Wobegon parts of Prairie Home Companion. It's like the movies was written in a parallel universe where the lowbrow comedy of the common man gets a few intemellectual quirks and relabeled as smart and hip.
Like Vacation, Little Miss Sunshine is a cross-country family road movie. In the original, the sadsack dad who thinks the trip will bring his family closer together was played by Chevy Chase. Now, the sadsack dad with the same plan is played by Greg Kinnear. Ah, but the twist is that he's a self-doubting motivational speaker. Good fucking God, that NPR crowd is so clueless they don't know that these types have been punchlines on shitty sketch comedy shows for ten years.
though, there's an excellent "overrated movie" thread nearby that would be perfect for this subject.
So the reason you are different from other people is because they are stupid and you are better than them.
i agree with you entirely. i couldn't understand why i felt so different than all the other people who laughed with glee until i read this review.
So the reason you are different from other people is because they are stupid and you are better than them.
well, i saw it at a film festival hosted by michael moore, so it wasn't tough to guess the demographic of a lot of the people there. in that respect, having gone to a unitarian church until my late teens, and having seen a lot of unitarians participating in the film festival in various capacities, yes, i am objectively better than many of the people i was watching it with. i have better taste in movies, i am more atheistic, cleaner shaved, a snappier dresser, bluer eyed and whiter.
Loren Michael on
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Podlyyou unzipped me! it's all coming back! i don't like it!Registered Userregular
i agree with you entirely. i couldn't understand why i felt so different than all the other people who laughed with glee until i read this review.
So the reason you are different from other people is because they are stupid and you are better than them.
well, i saw it at a film festival hosted by michael moore, so it wasn't tough to guess the demographic of a lot of the people there. in that respect, having gone to a unitarian church until my late teens, and having seen a lot of unitarians participating in the film festival in various capacities, yes, i am objectively better than many of the people i was watching it with. i have better taste in movies, i am more atheistic, cleaner shaved, a snappier dresser, bluer eyed and whiter.
Dear Loren,
I have declared Little Miss Sunshine to be a great movie. Your taste is below mine. Please cease and desist.
It's... it's not really a reference. He's just saying, "olol NPR listeners will like it", with the subtext being that NPR listeners are dumbass liberals who wouldn't know funny if it gave them a blowjob.
Anyways, LMS annoyed me. Maybe it was the theatre I was in, maybe it was because the amount that everyone yelled started to get to me. Maybe it was the insessant honking of the broken horn that tipped me over the edge.
Royal Tennenbaums is one of my favourite movies, The Life Aquatic I enjoyed but was stoned so it really sat well with my state of mind at that point. LMS... meh. I didnt dig it whatsoever
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though, there's an excellent "overrated movie" thread nearby that would be perfect for this subject.
That review makes sense. To be honest, though, there wasn't really any good comedy movies this year anyways.
I hear Borat was pretty popular.
yup. en-pee-fucking-argh!
As for it being the funniest, I can't really think of another. Maybe Thank You For Smoking, but I can't remember if that falls in the time slot.
I don't watch comedies usually so....
She is not that fat at all.
...though frankly, the idea of a beauty pageant for seven-year-olds is highly disturbing. In fact, I found that entire scene disturbing until the end.
You should find the HBO sepcial on kiddie beauty pagents. If it dosn't turn your stomach, nothing will. FYI: It was on the whole Jon Benet Ramsy ordeal several years ago.
And as for funny movies this year? Thank You For Smoking was pretty good, and Borat.
Bruce McCulloch's CD Shame Based Man is my current definition of dark comedy.
The characters are wonderful, and the acting is superb. Honestly, the characters are the reasons I found myself liking the movie so much. They're all so interesting and, dare I say it, believable, that I'm consistently drawn into their stories. Maybe it's the "NPR crowd" in me, but both times I saw it in the theatres I loved it.
All this talk about the four extra endings in the DVD have me excited as well, even though I thought it ended on a pretty appropriate note.
I'm not getting the refference.
I think it was actually the characters. I hated the stupid emo teenager, the craaaazy uncle is incredibly cliched, Steve Carrel actually was kind of funny, mom and dad were both tepid, and the little girl was both fat and had barely any lines anyway.
It was just so... barebones.
Maybe that's more of a reflection on my nature, however.
edit* OK, after typing this, I looked over on my bed and found The Royal Tenenbaums, Little Miss Sunshine, Lost in Translation, and The Squid and the Whale just sitting there. Irony + Karma = lol
So the reason you are different from other people is because they are stupid and you are better than them.
Home Run Loren! Hi5!
It has no bearing on the movie whatsoever. I was just a little surprised when people were like "no, the girl wasn't fat at all."
Because she totally was.
The actress is not fat. Olive is.
well, i saw it at a film festival hosted by michael moore, so it wasn't tough to guess the demographic of a lot of the people there. in that respect, having gone to a unitarian church until my late teens, and having seen a lot of unitarians participating in the film festival in various capacities, yes, i am objectively better than many of the people i was watching it with. i have better taste in movies, i am more atheistic, cleaner shaved, a snappier dresser, bluer eyed and whiter.
Dear Loren,
I have declared Little Miss Sunshine to be a great movie. Your taste is below mine. Please cease and desist.
Poldy
Dear Poldy,
Are you still a goddamn hipster?
Love,
Loren
Anyways, LMS annoyed me. Maybe it was the theatre I was in, maybe it was because the amount that everyone yelled started to get to me. Maybe it was the insessant honking of the broken horn that tipped me over the edge.
Royal Tennenbaums is one of my favourite movies, The Life Aquatic I enjoyed but was stoned so it really sat well with my state of mind at that point. LMS... meh. I didnt dig it whatsoever
But I thought TRTB and Life Aquatic sucked to, so take it with a grain of salt I spose.