Saturday, January 3, 2009

5 Stars - A Should be Wright Classic

This should be a Wright Classic. It is an amazing film. It came on USA tonight. I had to watch it after loving it at least a year ago and haven't seen it since. The greatest thing I think about this film is how the family totally rallys together during the pageant. First of all, Olive and her grandpa's relationship is just the cutest. Then, Greg Kinnear's really only human moment is during the pageant as he becomes ostensibly less and less comfortable. Meanwhile Duayne and Frank have really opened up to eachother. So during Olive's number, which by the way we haven't had a hint of (it's just, I'm going to go practice my rutine over there). But it's totally like this inappropriate for a little girl to dance this way, but, hello, what number in that crazy pageant is? Just in a different way. So funny. So then, this totally disfunctional family just totally gets together in this amazing last scene that I just love. Love it, Love it. Especially when Steve Carrell hauls it into the hotel to get Olive registered. Too great.

15 comments:

Emily said...

I LOVE this movie. One of my favorite moments is when Duayne flips out and no one knows what to do and then Olive just sits next to him, puts her arm around him and he says, "let's go". They have their own cute little relationship.
Wasn't that pageant creepy? I watched it with Matt not too long ago and we laughed so hard when Duayne goes, (excuse my language) "I don't want Olive doing this, look around mom, this place is f***ed!" It was just a great delivery, touching how much he cared for his little sister and mostly, oh so very true.
I have never been a fan of beauty pageants, but when they involve little girls, I am just speechless. The makeup is so creepy, and there is that scene in the movie where a mom is air spraying a tan on her little girl. Ug.

Emily said...

Oh and Steve Carell is GREAT in this movie. A departure for him and it worked well.

B said...

Yay! This movie is great. I love the part in the beginning when Duane is writing to Frank about why he doesn't speak. He writes "I hate everyone", and Frank goes "Even you're family?", and Duane underlines "EVERYONE." That part makes me giggle (it probably shouldn't). Greg Kinnear makes me want to tear his head off. And I watched a special following these two teenage beauty queens since they were little, and pageants are really like that!! And SCARY! And the girls were total idiots. I love Olives personality, and I love at the end of her dance when the pageant dad jumps up and starts clapping. So good, so good!

Emily said...

I love that part too B (the I hate everyone), after all, he is a 15 year old boy. Even at the beginning though, I think you don't believe him and know he loves them. I love his note, "go hug mom". Cute.

Emily said...

Did you watch any of that movie with us B? I know you missed Reservoir Dogs right after, but I don't know how much of this movie you made it through.

B said...

I made it through this entire movie plus extra features. Then woke up for the ending of Reservoir Dogs and totally spoiled it for myself. You guys must've talked in between or something.

B said...

Haha! Funny coincidence, but we just watched Horton Hears a Who, and Matt and I both think that the mayors son looks exactly like Duayne!

Emily said...

I didn't know that was a a movie. Here is another coincidence - I just got up from reading Scout, "Horton Hears a Who".

B said...

Weird!! Horton Hears a Who has Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell in it, and has some pretty cute/clever parts.

Sue said...

Cam and I watched this on cable today. We only saw it the one time when it first came out. Halfway through it Cam looked at me and said "why didn't we buy this movie?" I think I will buy it. I love every character in the movie, and the story. The ending scene is the best. The dance moves the grandpa teaches her are the best.

Cam and I rented Horton Hears a Who a couple of weeks ago. We liked it a lot. The Horton books were my favorite Dr. Seuss books. And Dwayne does like the mayor's son.

Emily said...

Rob and I just finished watching it. He had never seen it despite the fact that we own it -they offered it on Netflix for 5.99 and I took advantage.
He liked it.

Matt Wright said...

I've watched it 4 times, and once with just the commentary. I love it so much. Incredible writing/directing/casting and acting. One funny part is when it cuts to Grandpa and Olive in the hotel room practicing her tiger growls, and it isn't till you see it again when you find out she was practicing her routine with him.
My favorite part from Steve Carell is when they are all in the car and Kinnear is going off about his five step plan, and Steve Carell is like, "how much do I owe you for those pearls of wisdom?"
SOOO many funny things in this movie!!
I am glad you see the ending the way I do Cath. It was all about sticking together as a family no matter what.
If you ever want to see how shallow and stupid the world is, take a few minutes and read youtube comments about this movie. Oh man.

Sue said...

So what is it about this movie that dad doesn't like? It's always confused me that he didn't like this movie.

I like how we have 3 different spellings of the name Dwayne going on here. I just looked it up on IMDB, I'm right! It's Dwayne! I hate names like that, there are like a thousand different ways to spell it.

Matt Wright said...

I asked Dad about it, (also very surprised he didn't like it) and even he didn't know why. ha ha.

Pops said...

I was in a bad mood when I saw this movie and I have always liked Alan Arkin as an actor, but it turned me off that he was so foul as a grandpa in this film. It just grossed me out and I shut down.