what a piece of crap. who ever did the marketing for this movie is a really good liar. they billed it as 'the funniest comedy of the year!' i would dispute the idea of this being a comedy at all.i started the movie expecting an unusual querky light hearted drama. boy was i wrong. this movie is bland, boring, and depressing. if you are unfamiliar with the film, let me give you the character rundown: the dad- a motivational speaker who fails at motivating. the mom- well, shes actually kind of normal. the grandfather- a drug addict who during the course of the movie overdoses. the uncle- a gay professor who is in a mental ward for attempted suicide. the son- a silent depressed kid who idolizes nietche's 'everything is meaningless' philosophy. the daughter- a girl obsessed with getting approval, enters a beauty contest and performs a strip tease as her 'talent'. maybe im wrong, but none of these characters are funny. the situations they get in are not funny either. i felt sad for them more than anything else. each of them face a crumbling experience over the course of the film, but i guess the moral of the story is that family conquers all. or something. i dont know, it just felt painful and depressed for each of the characters. maybe i would have had a different opinion about the film if i had been told that it is a messed up drama about obsession and its destructive effects. i dont know. all i do know is that i did not like it at all.
i have no idea why it has become such an awards darling. obviously i am in the minority here. can anyone who has seen it explain what is so good about it?
3 comments:
Tracy and I just saw Pan’s Labyrinth last night. It was good. I cannot say that I really “enjoyed” it as in, wheee I had a great time! (The whole thing is pretty much violence and trauma and twisted fairy tale. My body was glad when it was over so that I could relax.) But I did enjoy it. It told a poignant, albeit brutal, story about a troubled girl and war’s hellish consequences (and causes?). The imagery was great and I appreciated the freakishly well done scene with the creature with no face. That and the demise of the toad, was that a stomach?
Anyway, I post this in the Little Miss Sunshine area because of our conversation a couple of nights ago and your post here. Just because you were misled to believe that the movie was going to be laugh out loud hilarious and in fact was not, should not be faulted to the movie. Adjust man! The point of the movie was not to make us laugh at every turn, plus I really enjoyed Steve Carell in a different sort of role.
Yes, the movie does follow a family made up of very depraved and depressing individuals (but what about Labyrinth?). They do not accomplish much throughout the film that is of much worth or very redeeming, but I don’t think they should be written off. What I appreciate most about the film is the reality it portrays. There is a lot about life in a fallen world that sucks. But even in all of the characters’ messed-upness, they are still able to reach out and affect each other in a way I can only describe as common grace. I think of the grandfather comforting his son after he did not get the book deal, grandpa telling Olive that she is beautiful (which is true no matter what our culture tells us), Olive comforting Dwayne after he finds out he can’t be a pilot and the family being able to pull together in defense of innocent Olive during the pageant, and be a family unified – even with the dysfunction.
Is it laugh out loud funny. No, but it is funny. I mean, some of the problems that they encounter are quite absurd and deserve a laugh (grandpa’s dead travels, the van etc.). Even the pageant scene: obviously innocent Olive had no idea that what she was doing would be construed as offensive or “wrong”. She was only feeling afraid and worried because of all the other girls and their ‘great’ talents and looks. But the humor comes in by looking at how serious all of the other competitors and their parents (mostly mothers) are about the pageant. I mean, if that is not totally disgusting, I do not know what is. And grandpa knew it and was shoving it in their face and the pageant people hated it. But it was gratifying to see the pageant shown for what it really is. And the mockery of it all was funny, no matter how uncomfortable.
You say “I guess the moral of the story is that family conquers all”. Maybe, but does there have to be a moral? I mean, can it not be a snapshot of life with dark parts and good parts. What is the moral of Labyrinth, that it’s good to have fantasies during war so that when you die you can go to your fantasy world? One theme of Labyrinth is that war is terrible and that there are cruel, evil things in this world. But that would be one from Sunshine too. And maybe, it says that life can suck sometimes (or most of the time) but that does not mean that we need to kill ourselves or hate ourselves, because we can learn from those times as well and it is a part of life.
Anyway, I hope that this rambling makes some sense. Not enough space to clearly etch all of my thoughts but I just don’t want you to completely write off the movie. Give it a second go I say, this time knowing what you’re in for.
It was good to talk to you on Monday.
-Robb
perhaps you are right robbie-pants. and perhaps my viewing was a bit skewed by my fragmented viewing (over the course of two nights). i believe i will take that advice and give it another try.
but i am standing by my opinion that pans labyrinth was stinkin' sweet!!!
Fair enough, you are entitled to that.
-Robb
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