Hilarious movie filled with depth and emotions

Rating: 9/10 (15 November 2006)

This is a wonderful movie! It's so funny but still also very serious. The story itself is beautiful. The movie is held in a very normal, sort of everyday-manner, which makes the characters more believable. None of the characters try to be funny, they just are. It is the situations this family is put in that makes the movie so hilarious. Really funny awkward situations.
The members of this family are great. They have so much depth and they all have an emotional background that really shapes them and makes them who they are. The writers have really thought these characters through.
This movie has some gorgeous pictures. It has large wide pictures but the focus still remains on the story and its characters. It never becomes too much and the pictures never become too large. My absolute favorite picture is the one where Olive puts her arm around Dwayne to comfort him and the rest of the family stands in the back next to the car. There are a lot of things in the frame but the focus still remains on Olive comforting Dwayne.
The acting was one of the best things about this movie. There are no huge Blockbuster stars in the movie and there is no need for them either. Steve Carell (playing Frank) shows his characters pain so well. I truly felt sorry for him. Steve should play more of the serious stuff in the future because he does it so well. And Paul Dano (playing Dwayne) does not say a word through half the movie he just uses his face and body to express his feelings. The first scene where he speaks is the scene where he finds out that he cannot fly because he is colorblind. His anger and frustration and sorrow are just excellent acting. Both Paul Dano and Abigail Breslin (playing Olive) are really good at making it look believable when they cry. Amazing actors!
All in all a real funny movie that is also filled with lots of depth and wisdom. A stunningly emotional beautiful movie that makes you laugh and cry.