BLOBBY'S BLOG

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

Every year, I promise Denton that we will go out to more movies. The goal is at least one a month, at least on average. That sounds doable - right? Then why do I have so much problem meeting expectations in this field?

Socially, I swear I'm turning into my father and his mother. They never wanted to go anywhere. Our best laid plans always shot down at the last second (by me) in favor of staying in and just doing our thing. Leaving Columbus a decade ago, and throwing ourselves into long-houred, demanding jobs really stunted our ability to get out there. The little time we had at home and together really took hold. Jerry Seinfeld was right - you can't make new friends after you're 30. Ok....you can, it's just so much more difficult. I at least recognize the not-going-out cycle....and now I have to break it.

Partially though it's the movie theatre experience - start to finish - which is why I avoid films. It makes it hard for you want to get out there. It's not the movie price. It's the crowds. We were the youngest people there today - and the elders behaved worse than any children I'd encountered with their yammering through the entire movie. Then there is the 30 minutes of forced commercials and the previews. You have to be there for them if you want a seat that is not front row center. Oh - and it's the movies themselves. Predictable. Try finding 12 movies you actually want to go out and see in a calendar year. Anymore, what you really hope for is one good performance w/in the movie that is destined to be fair (i.e. Meryl Streep's great job in the otherwise lame The Devil Wears Prada).

So here we have Little Miss Sunshine. The rave of much of the indie and film festival circuit. And I give it the big -"EH"! (actual word/phrase I muttered upon movie's completion. Denton agreed.) What do you say when the best performance is by an unknown seven year old? Even Toni Collette, whom usually pulls off a really good performance in any movie was just ok. ...and then there's Greg Kinnear. I mean - well with him, what you see is what you get.

All the hype - and it's just not that good of a movie.