Can someone who actually thought this movie was worth all of the ridiculous amount of hype and praise it received please explain to me what the flick I'm missing, because I thought it was crap*.
*I don't want to make an enormous fuss out of a minor detail, but it's absurd that they had the "vow of silence" dude decide that he was going to "join" the Air Force Academy. Um, you don't join the Air Force Academy. The application process is rigorous and much longer than what a regular university would require, you have to get an endorsement from a member of Congress or the Vice President, and only a small few are admitted. Hell, they actually have pre-candidate screening to determine if you are even qualified to apply. I'm only pointing this out because 1) my dad went to the Air Force Academy and has often told me in detail about the requirements and 2) the character seems to have a lot of emotion invested in his career plans. He takes a months-long friggin' vow of silence over the matter and goes apeshit when he finds out he can't be a pilot because he's color blind, for Jeebus' sake. A person going through the application process would be, at the very least, well aware of the likely reality that they wouldn't be selected to attend and, unless they were intensely stupid (and therefore, underqualified anyway), they certainly wouldn't have put all their eggs in one basket.
Posted by Emily at January 30, 2007 12:12 PM | TrackBack (0) |I don't know; my parents said they walked out of it.
Posted by: Lisa at January 30, 2007 12:19 PMDon't let facts and requiring 2 minutes of research get in the way of art!
I've been hearing absolutely mixed things about that movie, always extremes. I'm starting to get more and more the idea (based on who is saying what) that it's one of those movies that's all indie and you're supposed to like, so everyone does so they can fit in at the next dinner party.
I may rent it, but, damn, there's not a thing about it that made me want to see it pre-hype let alone now. It may have really good performances (the most consistent praise I've heard), but even a perfectly coiled pile of shit is still a pile of shit.
Posted by: marc at January 30, 2007 12:19 PMMarc,
Don't rent it. I'll send you my copy to watch. I didn't think anything was particularly mindblowing about any of the performances, and these were some of my favorite actors. I thought they rammed the "CUTE, PRECOCIOUS LITTLE KID" thing too hard.
I think this movie is kind of like The Royal Tennenbaums - a love it or hate it kind of deal. But you liked that movie and I didn't, so you may actually enjoy Sunshine.
Posted by: Emily at January 30, 2007 12:24 PMI hated, hated hated that movie too, and I'm glad I'm not the only one who did. Most movies I don't like I at least understand why they're popular, but this one, I have no idea.
Posted by: Steve at January 30, 2007 02:11 PMSteve,
Hahaha. I know, you've written about it more than once before. For me, it just wasn't funny in moments that were obviously *meant* to be. I didn't think it was funny when they had to push the VW Bus to get it in high enough gear. I didn't think it was funny when the horn stuck. I didn't think the little kid's (oh, in case you didn't notice in the movie, she's supposed to be REALLY CUTE AND PRECOCIOUS) strip routine at the end was funny. I didn't care about the characters. I felt nothing when they all stood up to cheer the little kid (who was REALLY CUTE AND PRECOCIOUS, just to remind you as often as the movie does), and it was clearly supposed to be an emotional, heart-felt moment. It wasn't, at least not for me. I don't think it was a completely *awful* movie, but I couldn't help but scratch my head over all the high praise.
Hrm. Maybe I'd like it.
I hated the Royal Tenenbaums the first time I saw it (hated Rushmore, too). But on re-watching, I decided it wasn't so bad...and actually in a strange way kind of came to like it.
Then again, one of my friends RAVED about Little Miss Sunshine and my general experience is that when she raves about a book or a movie, I'll feel exactly the opposite.
Posted by: ricki at January 30, 2007 04:37 PMI have absolutely no idea what this movie is, is about, contains, or otherwise.
All I know is that it topped Daughter Number One's list for Christmas. It was also the only thing on the list. We got it on DVD the day it became available. I have no idea if it was worth it or not. Perhaps one day she'll tell us.
Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at January 30, 2007 07:05 PMI have not seen it as of yet, but all my friends have been raving about it...I do know that the little girl in the movie was great when she appeared in M. Night's "Signs".
I am borrowing it this week, so hopefully I will have a clearer insight on its merits.
Posted by: Uzz at January 31, 2007 12:05 AMI really want to see the movie. I want to like it, but will try and temper my expectations. I did love Royal Tennenbaums and Rushmore (and The Life Aquatic), so we'll see.
Posted by: Cullen at January 31, 2007 05:12 AMOh, come on Emily, it can't be all that hard to get into the Air Force Academy. Now sure, while I was accepted into every university I applied to including UVA, Duke and MIT and got an appointment to the Naval Academy, and yet didn't get my first choice: an appointment to USAFA, but still, I hear that it ain't all that hard.
(BTW, I did get to attend USAFA as an exchange student in my junior year)
Posted by: JFH at January 31, 2007 08:25 AMJFH,
You mean you didn't just "join" the Academy because you wanted to?
Did anyone besides me think about JonBenet Ramsey when the beauty pageant started?
Only morbid curiosity and force of will allowed me to sit through the film.
Posted by: Alan K. Henderson at January 31, 2007 09:03 PMAlan,
Actually, one of the only things I liked about the movie was the sort of look of morbid disgust on Greg Kinnear's face as he was watching those little girls made up to look like grown women dressed as hookers.
If they had excessive lipstick and eye shadow, the contestants could have been live-action Bratz dolls.
Posted by: Alan K. Henderson, Disgruntled Republican at February 1, 2007 03:54 PM