I wrote:
> Anyway, there's nothing wrong with farces (especially ones that aren't > offensive, [just as] this one [isn't offensive]). They're better than a poke in the eye with > a sharp stick, if nothing else.
Carrol Cox wrote:
Are Laurel & Hardy films farces? If so, several of the greatest films of the 20th century are farce. In what other films can you find a seeming perfect order blossom into cosmic chaos!
according to the web dictionaries, a farce is "A light dramatic work in which highly improbable plot situations, exaggerated characters, and often slapstick elements are used for humorous effect." Little Miss Sunshine isn't quite a farce, because the plot situations aren't totally improbable. It's more like a situation comedy, in which a bunch of characters are defined and then let loose in a specific situation (here, driving to the beauty show in an old VW minibus), producing comedic results. Unlike in a situation comedy, the totally dysfunctional family becomes more functional toward the end. The people become less exaggerated. -- Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante.
