The notion of a dysfunctional family is really kind of ridiculous. Within all family units there are quirky relatives, some disappointments, and a few secrets. Further, at some point most of us have had an aching desire to run away from everyone to whom we are related if only for a little while. But, we usually don’t leave or go far; instead we stick around and deal with whatever is going on in the best way that we know how. Little Miss Sunshine is a funny and heartwarming example of just that – family members hanging strong no matter how much they get on each other’s nerves.

Favorite Film Thus Far in 2006

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My initial resistant thinking that this would be another white man saving the Black and Hispanic children was quickly obliterated. Half Nelson is just the opposite and quite incredible. The main characters are not what one would think, each having idiosyncrasies that make them different than the usual White savior, Black drug dealer, and minority teen so often seen on the screen.

One always expects or at least hopes for something spectacular from a movie that is introduced with the claim of being based on actual events. For we all know that life is most always stranger than fiction. But elements of an invented story sprinkled throughout would have been useful in The Night Listener, a vacuous film that initially offers promise, but quickly fades away to a monotonous pace and repeatedly disappointing, mundane scenes.