Good, unusual movie ...

Rating: Null/10 (29 July 2007)

I really didn't know what this movie was about beyond that it had something to do with child beauty pageants. Very quickly the movie with its unusual characters grew on me and I was anxious to see where it would end up.
The movie is basically about a family driving their daughter to a regional kiddie beauty contest - it's a real long drive and the family members (grandfather and uncle included) are all dysfunctional. It's anything but smooth driving!
This movie is more drama than comedy. There are lots of amusing moments throughout the movie, but they are all against the backdrop of disconcerting family situations and pent-up emotions. The mix of the two is very well done. The movie is both funny and intense.
Without a doubt, this is a character-driven movie and the characters are all interesting and very well acted. In fact, they are very unusual characters, but that made them all the more over-the top and interesting. Within the first 20 minutes, I realized that I was really interested in all the characters and wanted to see what would happen to them next. The all-star cast was really worth it.
If you're in the mood for good humorous character-driven drama, this will fit the bill.