It’s rare that I see movies. It’s even more rare that I see them in the theater. And it’s damn near unheard of that The Wife and I would agree on a movie to see, in the theater no less.

But yesterday, nursing a raging headache and enjoying a holiday from work we went to see Little Miss Sunshine. What a treat. An odd one, but still a treat.

Each cast member did a phenomenal job, especially Steve Carell and Paul Dano. Steve Carell’s sad-but-loveable everyman shtick that was one half of his character in The 40 Year Old Virgin fit perfectly in this film, and Paul Dano’s mute, sulking adolescent character strangely exudes more emotion and feeling than most other theatrical performances out there (and with but a few spoken lines, no less).

It’s off-beat. The plot is simple, requiring no effort to follow. But the meat and potatoes of the entire film lies in the beautifully dysfunctional interactions of the family. And as one of Steve Carell’s lines towards the climax of the film states, perhaps the best parts of life are the ones in which we suffer the most. Those are the ones that make us who we are.

Very enjoyable. I can’t remember the last time I laughed that honestly in a long time, not forced by a gag or lame joke. I suppose the awkwardness of every day life can provide some of the most truly funny moments.