Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by rico (A) on August 28, 2006 at 10:36:06

This just went onto wide release ad is a hilarious tale of a dysfunctional family on an 800 mile road trip to enter their young daughter into a beauty/talent contest/ Along their way their VW bus' clutch goes and since they are under a time line they decide to make the trip using just the top two gears, necessitating either a push to get them going each time or parking on a hill when they stop. Alan Arkin is the grumpy old drug addled grandfather and he dies along the way, thus further hindering the family's plans. The rest of the family consists of a married couple (Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette), the parents of the little girl. Kinnear is trying to publish a book containing his 8 point success proigram, and is constantly on the 'phone with his agent (named Stan Grossman, a character in "Fargo"). Also along for the trip are a sulky teenager who has taken a vow of silence and Collette's brother, a suicidal Proust scholar. The entire movie is full of fun and good cheer and will be rmemembered as one of the year's top films.