Laughed so hard my belly hurt

Rating: 10/10 (28 July 2006)

Toward the end of this movie there were a couple of moments when I couldn't stop laughing. It was great entertainment, especially if you need a laugh and a break from violence and gore. I loved it!
The characters were a little weird, but the teen boy (Paul Dano) reminded me of my ex's son and he's probably more typical of teenagers than not. There was a little contrivance in the plot at one point (it just felt a little overdone but not that big a deal in the big scheme of things). The dad (Greg Kinnear) was a great character, William H. Macy could have played him, too, if that helps you picture him. Toni Collette did a super job and handled a tough part really well. Of all the cast she gets the least to do, really. Steve Carrell was good, probably developed most of all the characters.
But the real stars are listed as "with" on the playbill: Abigail Breslin and Alan Arkin. Wow. Abigail plays a 7-year-old regular kid. What a contrast to the dolls in the pageant--it creeped me out how they looked like miniature adults. You can't help but think of JonBenet when you see those scenes. Alan Arkin had such great lines, he was really the instigator of everything that happened in that movie. Emmett Walsh as the highway patrol cop did a great job, too.
I guess the real stars are the writers who thought up the relationships and development of characters, the directors who coached the performances out of these folks, and the producers who sank money into it even though it doesn't feature any huge stars, sex scenes, or violence. To all of them, THANK YOU--I HOPE YOU MAKE BUCKETS OF MONEY. I haven't felt so happy after leaving a theater since The Full Monty. Except I was a little sad the movie was over.