:: Privatjokr ::

Andrew: We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all.

John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton lead an all-star cast in this hilarious and unpredictable thriller that critics are calling "very funny stuff" (Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper).

When lawyer Charlie (Cusack) and his partner Vic (Thornton) steal from a mob boss, they think they've pulled off the perfect crime. But when they race through a night filled with mayhem, lust and lethal surprises, they realize that the biggest risk they'll take will be trusting each other.

From the director of Analyze This and Groundhog Day, The Ice Harvest cracks with outrageous laughs and slippery twists that will keep you guessing until the very end.

I liked John Cusack's character (Charlie). He is a mob boss's lawyer, so he has probably worked a few too many hours, which has caused at least one woman to walk out of his life. He is just not happy with his station in life; something needs to change. He tells a story about how his father always played by the rules and respected the law. He wanted his son to grow up a lawyer and protect those same rules he held so dear. And we can imagine that working within the confines of those rules to assist a man who does bad things is as close as Charlie has come rebelling or acting out. The character really allowed Cusack to get back to the type of acting that makes me like him so much. He is a nicer guy than he tries to let on. He is on edge, angry about something that may have never happened. And he is impatient. It was refreshing to see old Cusack in a new role.

Billy Bob Thornton (Vic), as far as I am concerned, was just another actor in this movie. I probably shouldn't admit that I am generally a fan of his work. I like his personality and the quirks he brings to his work. (There, I said it.) There wasn't much depth to Vic. Putting Thornton in the movie helped impress people with the names associated with the project I am sure, but I think he was underutilized.

I never thought I would say that the highlight of any movie I had seen was the performance delivered by Oliver Platt. I mean no disrespect to Mr. Platt, but in what few roles I have seen him in, he has not played any characters that have left a positive impression on me...until now. His character Pete, the drunk, unhappy architect, brought some much needed comedy to The Ice Harvest. He had what may be seen as the easy job of delivering the best lines in the movie, but I think he brought a lot to those lines and did a great job.

As for the movie itself, I think it was good for the performances by Cusack and Platt. It was in the theaters so long ago that I was able to let go of the expectations that once had been for a great movie. I did not love the movie, but I am glad I was able to watch it somewhat objectively and enjoy it for what it was and not see it through let-down eyes. It took a few weird (maybe even unnecessary) twists to eventually lead up to the ending, but the ending was great.

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Lonely hit man Julian Noble (Pierce Brosnan in a Golden Globe-nominated performance) and struggling salesman Danny Wright (Oscar nominee Greg Kinnear) form an unexpected bond during a chance meeting in a Mexican bar. Six months later, when the self-proclaimed "facilitator of fatalities" turns up on the doorstep desperate for help, Danny and his wife (Hope Davis) are both horrified...but intrigued enough to oblige. Together, the two men set out for the most thrilling adventure of Danny's life and the most critical kill of Julian's career. Deftly mixing explosive action with savage wit, The Matador is "effortlessly entertaining" (Rex Reed, The New York Observer).

I cannot remember who it was that suggested I watch The Matador. I always try to get back to those who make recommendations I use and offer my feedback, but this time please forgive me.

I have always enjoyed Pierce Brosnan. I never really thought he was the best James Bond, but he did well in the roll...if that makes any sense. Either way, you understand that he is always the cool Brit chick-magnet. In The Matador, there is a small twist on that as he has a strong penchant towards booze and loose women. Not only does Julian Noble lack the class of James Bond, but he may be completely devoid of tact as well. He is a loose cannon and completely socially awkward. For 22 years he has enjoyed a career that has kept him in total isolation from other people's personal lives. Or more so that it has been his personal life that has remained in isolation.

Things have changed. While in Mexico on a job, he has a startling realization that he has no friends. Drunk and lonely he stumbles into the hotel bar and finds an unsuspecting Greg Kinnear character (Danny). This poor man, who is nervously waiting to hear back from the company he just pitched for business, breaks the commandment of thou shalt not be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is the first friendly face Julian has come across since he realized he had no friendly faces in his life and he is immediately labeled "friend."

The unlikely duo plays the get-to-know-you game for a little while before Julian oversteps his boundaries by asking Danny to help him on a job. Julian asks Danny to help him kill a man. Pulling the trigger or distracting body guards, there is no difference to Danny who wants no part of Julian's business in Mexico, a decision from which we are shown the seeming end of the friendship. Until Julian shows up on Danny's doorstep in Colorado.

For a few days Danny stayed in Mexico in case the company whose business he sought needed to hear his pitch a second time, and over those few days he shared a few drinks with a man who kills people for a living, a man with no one else to turn to when he is at his wit's end. Julian needs a friend again and with no one else to turn to, he gives Danny the choice to help or turn his back.

Brosnan and Kinnear play an odd-couple of sorts, two personalities who could hardly be more different. I would argue that they did not have good chemistry together, but that was the whole point. I believe every interaction between Julian and Danny was supposed to be as uncomfortable for the viewers as it was for Danny. That was mission accomplished.

I liked where the movie started. I liked where it was going. I did not like where it ended up. The final scene was the best way they could have ended the movie, but it was the conflict resolution I did not like. I liked the Julian Noble character, but the movie would have been better had it been about all of the years he was the best at what he did. Remove the conflict in The Matador and let Julian do what he does best with a camera over his shoulder. Give me a The Matador prequel and I bet you sell more tickets.

The movie was luke warm. You would be ok to see it at someone else's request, but you needn't actively seek out The Matador.

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Andrew: Dude, did you just give her the family discount? Richard Swersey: Yeah. She's my neighbor, and I'm trying to work on my karma. Do you know what karma means? Andrew: Yeah. Richard Swersey: It means that she owes me one.

Blink-182 was a punk-rock band formed in Southern California in the early 1990s. The band is best known as Mark Hoppus, Tom Delonge and Travis Barker, though Barker joined the band in 1998. In 2005 the band went on what they first described as an "indefinite hiatus," though it was later clarified that the band had broken up.

Tom has already moved on to a new band called Angels and Airwaves which has seen some success with their single "The Adventure," though the album, We Don't Need to Whisper, has been a relative flop. Mark and Travis were not ready to stop making music either and are preparing to launch their first album, When Your Heart Stops Beating, as their new band (+44), audibly as "Plus Forty-Four."

I cannot speak to the validity of the interview, but B182.com seems to have gotten through to Mark and gotten some answers to important questions about the past, the future, and Tom.

1. Billy Madison

2. Airheads

3. Punch Drunk Love

4. Big Daddy

5. Happy Gilmore

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Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

An underground classic since its first publication in 1996, Fight Club is now recognized as one of the most original and provocative novels published in [that] decade. Chuck Palahniuk's darkly funny first novel tells the story of a god-forsaken young man who discovers that his rage at living in a world filled with failure and lies cannot be pacified by an empty consumer culture. Relief for him and his disenfranchised peers comes in the form of secret after-hours boxing matches held in the basements of bars. Fight Club is the brainchild of Tyler Durden, who thinks he has found a way for himself and his friends to live beyond their confining and stultifying lives. But in Tyler's world there are no rules, no limits, no brakes.

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M

A simple, haunting phrase whistled off-screen tells us that a young girl will be killed. "Who is the murderer?" pleads a nearby placard as serial killer Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre) closes in on little Elsie Beckmann. In his harrowing masterwork M, Fritz Lang merges trenchant social commentary with chilling suspense, creating a panorama of private madness and public hysteria that to this day remains the blueprint for the psychological thriller.

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Something may actually be wrong with me. I have listened to speculation for many moons without much in the way of justification. Today, what I offer you may seal the deal.

They say everyone has multiple dreams every night. When you wake up and say you did not dream, it is rather that you simply do not remember doing it. I have no idea what the medical/astrological explanation is, it's just what I've heard. And I have heard it a lot, because I never remember my dreams, nor do I ever remember having dreams. Last night was an exception.

And last night was vivid.

I was my same, large, 25-year old self, but rather than the sit at home type stuff I am usually doing to entertain myself, I had a little league baseball game. It was my turn to bat, and I was simply furious. I couldn't find my 6-iron. I had to settle for my 5-iron. Why my golf clubs came into play, I have no idea. That isn't important. What is important is that I singled with my 5-iron. The batter after me hit a home run and we won.

Next thing I know I'm standing up behind the table at a restaurant with giant french toast asking the waitress if she would be kind enough to bring strawberry syrup to the table. Just a little. I couldn't think of a better term for the little silver gravy boats that some restaurants serve condiments in, but for some reason the word "ramekin" wasn't too much for me in my dream.

I am not sure I have ever felt more involved in a dream before. Sure it's rare enough that I even remember that I had a dream, let alone any of the details. This one felt so real.

Maybe I went todash (if you've read Stephen King's Dark Tower series you get that, otherwise, don't ask).

If it's all the same, I think I'll go back to not dreaming. Thanks though.

Willy Wonka: But Charlie, don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted. Charlie Bucket: What happened? Willy Wonka: He lived happily ever after.

The Man Booker Prize for Fiction represents the very best in contemporary fiction (from the UK, Ireland, and the Commonwealth). One of the world’s most prestigious awards, and one of incomparable influence, it continues to be the pinnacle of ambition for every fiction writer. It has the power to transform the fortunes of authors, and even publishers. In 2004, not only did Alan Hollinghurst’s The Line of Beauty reach the bestseller lists, but previous winners The Life of Pi (2002) and Vernon God Little (2003) were also amongst the bestselling books of the year. Congratulations to last year's winner John Banville for his novel The Sea.

The winner receives £50,000 with a guaranteed increase in sales and recognition worldwide. Each of the six shortlisted authors, including the winner, receives £2,500 and a designer bound edition of their own book.

	The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
	The Secret River by Kate Grenville
	Carry Me Down by M.J. Hyland
	In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
	Mother's Milk by Edward St Aubyn
	The Night Watch by Sarah Waters

Beerfest is the latest project to hit the theaters from the Broken Lizard team who has been responsible for the rip-roaring comedy Super Troopers and the lesser-known, though still funny (to me), Club Dread and Puddle Cruiser.

My expectations were left at the door and all that I sat down with was the hope that it would be better than Club Dread. As the movie started, I had my reservations. I am never one to shy away from gratuitous nudity, but I have often considered it a last-ditch effort to wrench a laugh from the audience. If they were resorting to that in the first few minutes of the movie, things did not look good. Little did I know at the time that there was a necessary set up for the storyline. There had to be some actual time spent on explaining a thing or two before things could progress. The nudity, reminiscent of comedies from nearly a generation ago, was only something to hold your attention while they warmed the engine. It was as if Broken Lizard said, "We apologize that our plot line is a little far-fetched. We have to jump through a few hoops and clear up some red tape before we can get going. Oh, here are some topless girls to help pass the time and make up for any inconvenience we may have caused." And then the movie took off...

This is such a stupid idea -- getting five guys together to compete in a secret beer-drinking competition in Germany -- that the strength had to be in the writing. And it was. The dialogue was great, the sight gags were great.

Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske are Jan and Todd Wolfhouse, brothers and the descendents of the Germans which lead them to Beerfest. Jay Chandrasekhar plays Barry, a character who was the best at all drinking games in college. Jan and Todd find him a bit down on his luck when they ask him to join the team. Aside from directing the movie, I have to say that Jay is the most talented of the Broken Lizard team. Kevin Heffernan who is most beloved as "Farva" (Super Troopers) plays "Landfill," the team's former competitive eater. (According to the credits, he also painted the portraits of Stolhanske and Soter that appear in the Beerfest arena.) Steve Lemme is single handedly (pun only slightly intended) responsible for the beginning of the hilarity in the movie.

This is the perfect movie for me to want to say, "Hey, remember the part when..." and when you do, we share a laugh. I would love to recite the movie for you quote by quote, but obviously that would ruin it.

The movie was very funny and I loved it. I'm not ashamed to admit when a movie makes me cry. During Beerfest I had tears streaming from my eyes. I have not laughed that hard in a long time. Beerfest had my face contorted in laughter until my cheeks hurt. My hat is off, once again, to the Broken Lizard team. I may have laughed more frequently during Super Troopers, but I laughed harder at Beerfest.

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Lola's is one of a few places in the Harmonie Park area of Downtown Detroit that features both dining and live jazz. Last night we went for the former, though I could easily see myself going back for the latter. We definitely had a positive experience at Lola's.

The menu does not fit well into any defined genre I know. It seemed to pull from a variety of influences and added depth and variety to the menu as a result. I had a rather difficult time picking what I wanted and I'll go through my thought process before I actually go into how anything tasted.

A few main courses that I considered were: Crawfish Etoufee, Fried Rice (yes, it was a main dish), Lobster B.L.T., Tempura Shrimp, and Lola's Fried Chicken. I was initially leaning most towards the fried chicken, but opted against because of the side dishes. I did not want the black beans or the corn succotash. So I didn't get the Fried Chicken. I was very curious for the fried rice, but couldn't justify getting that as an entree my first time at Lola's when there were so many other appealing menu items. I love lobster meat, though it did not take long for my eyes to gravitate away from the Lobster B.L.T.. The sandwich was listed at $16 and I rationalized that there would hardly be any actual lobster meat on it for that price. I opted against both the Tempura Shrimp and Crawfish Etoufee because of the appetizer menu. I wanted both the BBQ Shrimp and the Crab, Crawfish and Corn Fritters as appetizers for the table and did not want to have the same featured ingredient in both my appetizer and entree. By this point in my selection process the server will be back any minute and I need to make my decision since I have now talked myself out of each dish above. In an item description I see the words "Our famous" and my attention was grabbed enough to order accordingly. Those two words were the only way I could ever justify ordering the Bacon Cheeseburger on a menu like Lola's. And even with that description, I do feel that I kind of took the easy way out. But I'm ok with that.

Both of the appetizers were listed at $10 per. I feel that the Fritters was a better deal since there are more ingredients and at least you got 5 of them, which worked out well since we had 5 people in our party. The BBQ shrimp came as only three shrimp, which makes it hard for me to justify the price.

Both dishes were great. The Fritters were roughly the size of a chocolate truffle, so I would have liked more than one to fully appreciate the flavor. I expected a more New Orleans spin on the Shrimp (based upon some other things on the menu), meaning more spice. They didn't necessarily need the heat, but I think it would have been a nice addition.

My cheeseburger...oh my cheeseburger. It comes with your choice of cheese, I picked cheddar. My juicy cheeseburger came topped with the cheese and applewood smoked bacon on an onion roll. I guess I should also tell you that it came with lettuce, tomato and red onion, though I kept that all off of my burger. Served with a glorified french fry potato chip hybrid for $13, I thought the burger was a steal. Especially since it was one of the best cheeseburgers I have ever had.

I wanted dessert, but my company was too full. The dishes that were responsible were Thai Snapper (x2), Lobster B.L.T. and a Smoked Turkey Reuben. I never get dessert if I am the only one, but last night I was tempted to break that tradition. Lola's offers a Ginger Beer Float that really sounded particularly delicious after my burger. Though I'm still disappointed that one dinner mate opted against dessert after she mentioned that she was considering the Aphrodisiac in place of her meal before we ordered dinner. Two glasses of chocolate Port and Lola's chocolate lava cake (or whatever it was, you get the idea). I think that would have been a little over the top chocolate-wise, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't suffer through it if I had to.

The place was smaller than I would have expected going in. Sitting towards the rear of the restaurant may feel more "out to dinner," but up front the space was too open. I think it would be a great place to watch their live jazz, but I was hoping for a more intimate feeling from the restaurant, which I did not get at our table. I was also briefly disappointed when they did not have the flavored liquor one of my table mates tried to order for her cocktail. I would think they would keep their bar well stocked, but I am not sure lacking orange vodka can really be considered a strike against the place.

I would definitely go back to Lola's.

Lola's Restaurant, 1427 Randolph St Detroit, MI 48226-2213
313-962-0483

Cont'd from East Coast Road Trip Part II - More Friends and Two Nights in NYC

Our last morning in NYC was not very eventful. We gathered our things, cabbed to my car and were on our way. (Not so) Surprisingly, the traffic from NYC to the Jersey Shore is quite horrible on a sunny Saturday late morning/early afternoon. There is a group of some 9 guys who rent a house on the beach every summer. I went to college with a handful of these shady characters. We headed to New Jersey to party with those guys.

We arrived in time to grab some boardwalk food as a snack before our Japanese Steakhouse dinner. The chicken fingers held me over well. The highlight of this small culinary endeavor was the incredible irony and superb timing when Will said he couldn't wait to get some "g*dd*mn cheese sticks" only for us to then all lift our gaze to meet two elderly NUNS coming off the beach. What are the odds!? These poor women came away from the sand in their full-length, blue beach habits and were hopefully out of earshot for Will's vocalization of his craving.

Dinner was great once the waitress conference ended. I have never been to a restaurant before where you have any trouble combining two items which are not listed as options under the "combinations." I have also never been to a Japanese Steakhouse that has questioned an order of a Lobster and Lobster combination. I guess this was a special place, since it was also my first B.Y.O.B. Japanese Steakhouse. The wonders of Manasquan, New Jersey! The three small Japanese women huddled over a menu and later came to me and said I could not have that as a combination, but rather I would have to have the Lobster (she pronounced it Lostibber) dinner and a side of Lobster.

This B.Y.O.B. establishment also happens to be a few doors down from a liquor store. The story goes that the guys typically go in and grab a bottle of wine (per) to enjoy over dinner. Except for Sean (who made a huge effort to come to Manasquan that night) who opted for a case of Miller Lite bottles. There is nothing classier than a guy who walks in to a restaurant in a group of ten people carrying his own case of beer. "Oh, is that for everyone?" "No, just for me. Thanks."

Once dinner was over, we headed back to the beach house so Will and I could give a brief clinic on how to play beer pong. We got through a solid seven games before being unseated. An executive decision was then made that it was time to go to the bar.

The line at the bar was manageable when we found a place only halfway back when joining. Good thing smooth-talking Josh decided to flirt with every bouncer who gave him a hard time for having an expired license. I guess that temporary, paper one they give you takes a lot of the fun out of it, right Josh? All I know is that on our way into the bar, the bouncer commented on the "unruly guys from Michigan" to another patron. I was a little surprised that there were other kids from Michigan in Manasquan that night...

Once inside the bar, which I like to call "Villanova reunion," things actually got pretty tame. The group split up some to canvas the place for fun. I probably bumped into more former classmates than I would have preferred, but I am sure I'll get over that in time. Really was hoping to not have to see Ryan Brown if at all possible, but luck was not on my side. I kid. (I thought I was a mess that night, ok I was a mess that night, but so were you, Ace.)

I lost one of my best friends after the bar. I do not know where he went. I probably should have been more concerned than I was, but over the years I have come to expect him to disappear. I just hope when and if he turns up, he has a good story for me. Besides, we were getting pizza, so I had other things to look forward to besides finding him. You'll all be happy to know that he made it back to the house no worse for the wear. His night ended up somewhat of the stuff of legend.

He managed to get separated from the girl he left the bar with only to be approached by two girls who were concerned if he was lost. They told him to come home with them and he told me something about having a one-on-one Yahtzee tournament with one of the two girls, or something like that. He then managed to make his way back to the house and found all of the beds were occupado. He claimed a couch in the name of the King and tried to sleep. Destiny had other plans. He was awakened a mere two hours later by another guy who brought home two girls. The four of them thought it would be an awesome idea to drink Jack and Coke at 6AM, which led directly to waking (the whole house) me up at about 7:30 with an ancient Incan ritual named something in the Native dialect that translates into "loud-as-hell, drunken 'let's-go-halves-on-a-baby' negotiation." Roughly.

I think he tried to cook her breakfast and simply didn't make enough food. At least that's what I took away from the story when I heard that the four of them went back to the girls' place and apparently he left her so...I believe "unsatisfied" was the word, that she had to go and play golf with the other two, or something like that. But he LOVES golf, I don't know why he would let them play as a threesome without him. Makes perfect sense to me. I'm sure you don't think I'm leaving anything out. (I love to play golf when I'm hungry, who doesn't?)

That just confirms everything you have ever suspected about New Jersey, doesn't it? And to think those guys do that every weekend in the summer.

...but living in Michigan is cool too ya know! (Not really)

Stay tuned for East Coast Road Trip Part IV - All Good Things Must Come To An End

Number of consecutive days eating chicken fingers: 4.

Young Ed Bloom: There's a time when a man needs to fight and a time when he needs to accept that his destiny's lost, the ship has sailed and that only a fool will continue. The truth is I've always been a fool.

Unlocking a cold case with explosive implications for the future of civil rights, forensics expert Lincoln Rhyme and his protegee, Amelia Sachs, must outguess a killer who has targeted a high school girl from Harlem who is digging into the past of one of her ancestors, a former slave. What buried secrets from 140 years ago could have an assassin out for innocent blood? And what chilling message is hidden in his calling card, the hanged man of the tarot deck? Rhyme must anticipate the next strike or become history -- in the bestseller that proves "there is no thriller writer today like Jeffery Deaver" (San Jose Mercury News).

It seems like every Mystery/Suspense author has a serial character, one who appears in nearly all of their books. James Patterson has Alex Cross, Janet Evanovich has Stephanie Plum, Michael Connelly has Harry Bosch...and Jeffery Deaver has Lincoln Rhyme. I dabble in the works of some other Mystery/Suspense writers, but my favorites are the Lincoln Rhyme books. Most Mystery/Suspense novels follow essentially the same outline and only differ in the people and the places. Deaver breaks the mold when writing Lincoln Rhyme, and for that I am grateful.

It had been a long time since I read a book in this series, so it was refreshing to get back to it. It was almost like coming home after a long trip. It's just nice to be back.

The detail into which Deaver goes is noteworthy. The level of his research is evident in his books and he just seems to spend more time learning about the subject matter than another author would. (Sidenote: The one exception to that rule came out in The Twelfth Card where his plot dealt with some young men and women from Harlem. He did not have the best handle on his Ebonics, but I'm sure many of his readers would never know the difference.)

I like the creativity in which Deaver wraps his stories. Instead of starting a new book and just having a different killer, he focuses on a bigger picture and devises elaborate plot lines and intricate motives for his killers. I am sure it is at least somewhat self-serving because without that, he would have no reason to do all of the research for which he is respected.

The Twelfth Card featured a plot that was very involved, including the attempt to get to the bottom of a crime that was 140 years old. For his creative plots, this one was a little far-fetched. I thought he had to scramble a little to make things tie out in the end, but after taking a step back, I did not mind. (Those of you with a mind to pshchoanalyze me will get a kick out of this.) The heart of these books is in the chase. That is what is so great about them. The ending did not take too long, so it was relatively unobtrusive to my overall enjoyment of the book.

If I were asked to recommend to you a Jeffery Deaver, even specifically a Lincoln Rhyme book, I would not pick The Twelfth Card. Of the now 7 Lincoln Rhyme books, this may actually be the worst of the series, but the other books are just that good. I liked it a lot and am glad I read it. My suggestion is to read the entire series; start anywhere you like. You do not need to read them in any order, though I recommend you do.

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1. Princess Bride

2. Flight of the Navigator

3. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

4. Labyrinth

5. Bedknobs & Broomsticks

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Mitch Albom has captivated readers with his earlier novels Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. At the end of September, 2006 he will begin his book tour for his latest novel, For One More Day. The book is on sale now and will be released on September 26, 2006. For more information about the book, visit ForOneMoreDay.com. There is also a complete list of tour dates available here.

Appearances of note:
Friday, October 6
Noon – 1:00 PM
Starbucks
Maple & Lahser
3584 West Maple
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301
Q&A & signing
248-642-6904

Saturday, October 7
Noon
Borders
612 E. Liberty
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
signing
734-668-8124

For months I waited in anxious anticipation for Little Miss Sunshine. I all but counted down the days until I would be able to see this cast come together and lend its collective hand to a simple story. The movie has been receiving very favorable reviews from movie lovers and casual viewers alike. Somehow, however, I managed to miss the boat on this one. I may have to reserve judgment somewhat until I can see it again, but who knows when that will be. For now, I will give you my first-impression thoughts.

Some of the things I have read about the movie have praised the character development. I must have been asleep during the part where they added depth to any of the characters. I won't go into too much detail to save the spoilers for a separate conversation, but I only liked what they did with two characters and one of them received about half of the screen time he deserved. The only development given to any character was how he or she contributed to the problem(s) that threatened to pull the family apart.

I was excited for this cast to see how its members would interact on screen. I wanted to see how well they would banter together. The focus of the movie, however, was the story rather than the writing/dialogue. The story did not deserve all of this attention. Each character provided maybe one scene of comedy and that was it.

So many scenes and ideas were run into the ground. Something would be suggested in dialogue and the theater audience would laugh. Those who laughed would see the suggestion play out in their minds and that, in most movies, would be the end of it. Little Miss Sunshine then took it a step further to then act out that suggestion after the laughs had already been received. Too many scenes dragged on with almost no purpose. I think Little Miss Sunshine could have been a short film if only the length of the movie weren't necessary to build the suspense leading to the actual beauty pageant (and even that scene ran too long).

I like the idea of a movie geared towards the importance of family; one that shows us that usually no one understands or accepts our quirks better than our family. We all have problems, and together we can work them out. Each member of the family was different. They thought they were all on their own, isolated island. It was from a last-minute road trip, which forced them into each other's lives, that they began to see that they were there to support each other. I like the message, I just did not care much for the vehicle with which they pushed the message.

Abigail Breslin was adorable. I cannot, and I need not, elaborate much further. She was the bright shining star in this picture that played the young girl, Olive, and she was figuratively the glue that held this movie together. Credit is due, also, to the costume team who dressed her in the most freakishly bizarre yet amazingly precious outfits.

Alan Arkin was the other highlight for me in Little Miss Sunshine. It was his on-screen time that I mentioned above was not what it should have been. He deserved more, alas the part was not written to allow it. He has always been the Police Captain from So I Married An Axe Murderer to me, and now he's Grandpa from Little Miss Sunshine. This was a great part, and I cannot articulate how fantastic he was.

On their contributions alone I wish I were able to suggest you go see this movie. Maybe upon a second viewing I would find the magic everyone else sees in this movie. For whatever reason, I did not really enjoy Little Miss Sunshine.

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Breaded and pan fried chicken breasts, garnished with lemon slices.

4 skinless, boneless breast halves, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1/4 cup flour
1 egg
2 Tablespoons water
1 cup (or more) bread crumbs
1/4 cup peanut or canola oil
1 Tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste
For garnish: thinly sliced lemon slices

1. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Beat the egg with the water and place in a flat dish.

2. Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour, dip in the egg, then coat with the breadcrumbs, pressing them in your fingers.

3. Heat the oil and butter in one or two skillets and add the chicken. Cook about 3-5 minutes on each side or until golden. Turn and cook on the other side 3-5 minutes.

To serve:
Remove and serve hot, garnished with the lemon slices.

I normally will not take part in a lemon garnish. I like lemon flavor, but usually opt against lemon juice on my food (e.g. shrimp). This dish is an exception to that rule. The freshness of the lemon slices goes perfectly with the chicken. This dish deserves a healthy bed of mashed potatoes. No dipping sauce or gravy necessary.

Baron Munchausen: Your reality, sir, is lies and balderdash and I'm delighted to say that I have no grasp of it whatsoever.

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Why ... were adults so insistent that kids be polite? The ones who were most polite always seemed fundamentally untrustworthy.