Can a million viewers all be wrong?

Rating: 5/10 (5 March 2007)

Joel Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal movie reviewer, suggested that "Little Miss Sunshine" might win the Oscar because it was the only nominee no one disliked. That was the feeling I had going in - it was a movie no one disliked.
Well, I am not about to tell you that I'm right and everyone else is wrong: there's an old saying about there being no accounting for taste. But, I will tell you why I didn't like it very much.
Actually, I found each of the characters to be quite likable -- at the end of the movie. But, for the first half-hour or so I felt as if I were trapped in a room full of unruly children. I just wanted to get outside and take a deep breath. I guess it's just me, but I don't find humor in people being mean to other people. Nor am I comfortable being present where people seem to be unable to resist describing the flaws in the character of everyone else.
Everyone was right about Abigail Breslin - she was charming throughout the movie. Her presence was all that kept me in the theater long enough for the rest of the characters to become civilized.
There are some very funny moments in the film. There are some mildly touching scenes, as well. The theme of the movie about what differentiates a winner from a loser is good. Grandpa (Alan Arkin) could have been quoting me when he told Olive why she was not going to be a loser.
So, if you like the things I dislike, or if you can avoid becoming irretrievably bummed out long enough to get to like the characters, you may very well like this movie. It seems that almost everyone except me (and the several hundred IMDb reviewers who hated it) liked it a lot.