I'm Sore from Laughing

Rating: 10/10 (26 August 2006)

Since this is an independent film (whatever that means) I really didn't expect the belly laughs that this delivers. And it's got heart. It's about a group of people related by blood and living together who learn to be a family.
On the surface it would seem to be a spin off of The Simpsons. Dope sniffing foul mouthed grandpa. Dad who's trying to make it as a motivational speaker. Mom who's trying to hold the whole thing together. Brother who's an elective mute. Uncle who's a suicidal gay academic. And, at the heart of things, a kind and innocent little girl who dreams of winning the Little Miss Sunshine kiddie beauty contest.
If you didn't know that these things are real, the beauty contest would make you think that the film's writers are on crack. There are eleven girls who look like Barbies and Bratz come to life. These children, who look like thirty year old midgets who've lived hard, are horrifying. Worse yet, the girls playing them really perform in these travesties. Chubby little Olive is the only one on the stage who looks like a human being. And her dance routine is, well, definitely different.
Last weekend I saw and hugely enjoyed TALLADEGA NIGHTS. In the final analysis, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE has even more laughs for your buck. This is a prize. Enjoy.