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520愛的鼓勵 11訂閱站台

小太陽的願望 (強納森戴頓、薇拉莉法瑞斯，2006)

每個人都夢想著成功，但真正的成功究竟為何？是達到目標？還是努力的過程？對胡佛一家人而言，一趟難得的全家之旅將帶給他們對成功定義的最佳答案。作為一部公路黑色喜劇電影，本片可說是歷來最令人驚喜的一部，有「瘋狂假期」式的全家人主角，卻有更立體的角色塑造。

爸爸李察對自己的「邁向成功九步驟」信心十足，眼看就要獲得發行的機會；媽媽雪若是個求好心切的家庭主婦，除了支持丈夫還要關心小孩和公公；哥哥杜威為了考取空軍官校立誓不發一語，其實是正值叛逆期的他表達對一切的不滿；爺爺艾德溫因他以吸毒縱情生命的怪異人生觀，被原本居住的養老公寓鄰居們趕出；舅舅法蘭克在失去一切後自殺未遂，被收留的他對人生有沉重的無力感；小女兒奧麗芙得到進入她夢寐以求的「陽光小美眉」選拔賽機會，這就是改變全家人的起源。

原本身為演員助理的麥克昂特，以這個劇本展現他不亞於專業編劇的創意，也證明幕後工作人員也有多才多藝的實力；夫妻檔導演強納森戴頓和薇拉莉法瑞斯以多支音樂錄影帶聞名後，首部電影作品就有如此出色表現，前途不可限量；葛瑞格肯尼爾、東妮克蕾特、史蒂夫卡瑞爾、艾倫阿金、保羅丹諾和艾碧蓋兒布瑞斯林的搭檔演出簡直天衣無縫。

在不斷令人捧腹的情節中，每個家庭成員的互動和遭遇多少都能令人感同身受，在短短兩天中他們從障礙中學會團結和鼓勵，從離別中了解家人的重要，並且，最重要的，從失敗中找到成功的定義。在面臨像一連串競賽的人生過程中，本片不落俗套地呈現這些老調牙的主題並散發迷人的活力，令人重新渴望和自己最親密的人感受到彼此的關懷，更體會到愛自己一點都不難。

Little Miss Sunshine (Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris, 2006)

Everyone dreams of success. But what exactly does it mean? Is it to achieve a goal? Or is it the process of putting efforts in? To the Hoovers, a rare family trip will bring the best answer to the definition of success.

Richard the dad is full of faith with his “nine steps to success” and seems to have the chance to get it published. Sheryl the mom is a housewife who wants to get everything done well enough and has to support her husband and look after her children and father-in-law. Dwayne the son wants to get in the Air Force school by vowing not to speak a word, but actually it’s just the way to show his discontent from rebellion. Edwin the grandpa was banished from a retirement apartment because his strange philosophy of life of indulging himself by taking drugs. Frank the uncle failed to commit suicide after losing everything and feels deeply weak with his life. Olive the little daughter gets the chance of getting in the competition of “Little Miss Sunshine,” and that’s how all things start.

Originally as an assistant, Michael Arndt shows his creativity which is as good as professional screen writers with this screenplay. He also proves that the workers behind the scenes could also be very talented. After getting famous with their music videos, the husband-wife directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris did a terrific job in this movie debut and have a limitless prospect. The performances by Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Alan Arkin, Paul Dano and Abigail Breslin are absolutely perfect.

During the continuously hilarious plots, interacts and encounters of the characters more or less make people identify with themselves. Within only two days, they learn unity and encouragement in obstacles, they understand the importance of family with a farewell, and the most of all, they find the definition of success in failures. While facing life as a series of competitions, this film presents the clichés creatively and emanates an enchanting vitality and makes everyone desires to feel caring with the ones who’s the most intimate to us and even senses that it’s not hard at all to love ourselves.