Another One for the Top Ten of 2006

Little Miss Sunshine - Pretty much a perfect little movie. The little girl, Olive ( played pitch perfect by Abigail Breslin) made me tear up no less than three times, then laugh hysterically. Everyone was amazing in this..Alan Arkin, Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell and Paul Dano. I especially enjoyed Paul Dano , playing a Nietsche loving teen who want to be an airforce pilot and has taken a vow of silence until he becomes one. Toni Collette was also heartbreaking as the mother, barely holding on to her own sanity while she tries to keep the family from falling apart. The audience clapped when the credits rolled. I didn't because, well, give me a break.
Recommendation Level - 9.5

I also saw Talladega Nights today and I laughed but I just felt like it was nowhere near as funny as Anchorman and the illustrious Molly Shannon was woefully underused. Her 2.5 minutes on screen were the best of the film. The children in this, unlike in Little Miss Sunshine, were annoyingly bad and delivered their lines in such an unconvincing way that I felt embarrassed for them.
Recommendation Level - 6.7