"Everyone, just pretend to be normal."

I just watched this movie and kind of felt it incumbent upon myself to share my thoughts with you.

This movie is so odd. It's an indie film, so I'm not sure what I was expecting. But even with it's bizarre plotlines and characters, there was something unforgettable and deeply touching about it. You've got the Dad who's a failed motivational speaker with an obsession with winning; the overworked Mom who's attempting to hold it all together; the foul-mouthed, heroin-using Grandpa; the angst-ridden teenage son who's taken a voluntary vow of silence until he achieves his dream of getting into the Airforce Academy; the gay, suicidal uncle who's the country's leading scholar of Proust; and the quirky little girl who dreams of being Miss America. It's such a ramshackle bunch of people crammed together in a yellow VW Minibus. How could it NOT be a great movie?

There are parts that are really sad and really moving. The comedy is definitely what I'd call "dark." That being said, I definitely laughed out loud at a number of scenes. The movie starts out with each member of the family doing their own thing individually. And it ends with all of them performing a burlesque striptease-esque number on stage at a child's pageant. The overarching theme of the movie is the fact that alone, you're only so good. Together, with the people you love, you can be great. And I think that's a really decent message.